tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60984371741862256392024-03-12T18:57:38.757-07:00Leaving Violence in the Dust: Marathon or Bust!* A forum for me to talk about my love of running, cooking, healthy and delicious food, and social justice *
__________________________________
To donate to "Ceasefire Chicago: Stop the Violence", the charity that I have chosen to raise money for through my marathon training:
1)Go to http://ceasefirechicago.org/donate.shtml
2) Type in "Marathon Val" in the subject line
3) Get a personal shout-out on my blog for kindly donating to this great charity!
Thank you!!Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.comBlogger127125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-64168651579341533042009-08-23T17:18:00.000-07:002009-08-23T17:19:57.583-07:00I've moved!Hi everyone! Please don't forget that I have moved my blog to:<br /><br /><a href="www.chicagomarathonval.com">www.ChicagoMarathonVal.com</a><br /><br />You will need to update your Google Reader - thanks for doing so! Hope to see you on the new site! :)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-8481973824015239802009-08-13T11:18:00.000-07:002009-08-13T11:27:32.873-07:00If you want to get to my NEW BLOG where there's a GIVEAWAY....Hi there!<br /><br />I hope you are all having a great Thursday. I just wanted to mention that those of you who have me on your Google Reader will need to add a new subscription in order to continue to get new post updates, since I've moved to:<br /><a href="www.chicagomarathonval.com"><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">www.ChicagoMarathonVal.com</span></span></a><br /><br />I was able to just put the above url into my Google Reader and it worked fine - or, you may need to put <a href="http://fusion.google.com/add?source=atgs&feedurl=http%3A//www.chicagomarathonval.com/feed" target="_blank">www.chicagomarathonval.com/<wbr><span class="il">feed</span></a>.<br /><br />If this doesn't work, go to this site: <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/add?source=atgs&feedurl=http%3A//www.chicagomarathonval.com/feed">http://www.google.com/ig/add?source=atgs&feedurl=http%3A//www.chicagomarathonval.com/feed</a><br /><br />Or, you can go to the new site (<a href="www.chicagomarathonval.com">www.ChicagoMarathonVal.com</a>) and if you scroll down a bit on the right sidebar, there is a feature ("RSS Feeds") where you can add me to your Reader.<br /><br />Thanks for your patience! And don't forget I have a fabulous new giveaway on the new blog... hope to see you over there! :)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-72546159401354451172009-08-12T15:14:00.000-07:002009-08-12T17:03:06.763-07:00I lied....<span style="font-weight: bold;">This</span> is the url you need to update me to your Google Reader, not the one I mentioned earlier:<br /><br />www.chicagomarathonval.com/feed<br /><br />Please let me know if you have any problems doing so!Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-35279781390424569892009-08-11T13:46:00.000-07:002009-08-11T13:52:07.115-07:00What you've all been waiting for....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoHZo6QD8BI/AAAAAAAABJE/exthFeOh03g/s1600-h/new+and+improved.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 128px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoHZo6QD8BI/AAAAAAAABJE/exthFeOh03g/s320/new+and+improved.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368811527656960018" border="0" /></a><br />Hi everyone!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Exciting news.</span>.... in just a few hours my new blog will be up!!! If you use <span style="font-style: italic;">Google Reader,</span> you will need to update it to reflect my new url which is:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >www.ChicagoMarathonVal.com</span><br /><br />Right now it's about half-finished, but it should be completely done by tonight. I'm going to wait to post for today until the new one is up. <span style="font-style: italic;">See ya on the flip side, er, new website!</span> :)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-67240987806072434342009-08-10T19:04:00.000-07:002009-08-10T19:24:39.002-07:00Nutella nutella nutella nutella nutella!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoDTNMSB5NI/AAAAAAAABI8/eauk6R5GVOw/s1600-h/squirrel+in+nutella.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 173px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoDTNMSB5NI/AAAAAAAABI8/eauk6R5GVOw/s320/squirrel+in+nutella.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368522979414238418" border="0" /></a>Oh, yes. <span style="font-weight: bold;">This is what you have been waiting for</span>... the NUTELLA POST!!!! But first, <span style="font-style: italic;">mi cena:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoDSHRLUT2I/AAAAAAAABI0/Y8ADaxkN5T8/s1600-h/blog+august+068.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoDSHRLUT2I/AAAAAAAABI0/Y8ADaxkN5T8/s320/blog+august+068.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368521778137419618" border="0" /></a>Good stuff, involving a <span style="font-weight: bold;">simple but delightful dressing </span>comprised of flax oil, lemon juice, S & P.<br />*<br />Ok, <span style="font-weight: bold;">back to the good stuff</span>!! I have been a huge, unbelievably loyal, addicted and obsessed <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nutella fan </span>ever since I first tried the stuff. Growing up, my mom stopped buying it because I would literally <span style="font-weight: bold;">demolish an entire container in one sitting.</span>.. yes, ONE SITTING. I could easily do it again too, don't tempt me with the challenge ;)<br />*<br />Obviously, this stuff <span style="font-weight: bold;">isn't super healthy</span>. So, sadly I stopped buying Nutella for the most part and haven't had it in the house in years because I simply can't be trusted with it. Yes, I know it's ok to eat dessert in moderation, but for me, "Nutella" and "moderate" do not belong in the same sentence. <span style="font-weight: bold;">My most recent amazing Nutella experience was on our honeymoon in the Mayan Riviera in Mexico</span>, where they had Nutella as part of the buffet. I would smother a croissant with Nutella and PB, and it was <span style="font-weight: bold;">heavenly beyond belief</span>, as you can imagine.<br />*<br />Fast forward to today..... when I discovered something amazing. <span style="font-weight: bold;">All-natural, raw, vegan Nutella! </span>Oh yes! Here is the <span style="font-weight: bold;">recipe:</span><br />- 3 c. hazelnut meal (I ground up whole hazelnuts in my nut grinder)<br />- 1/2 c. cocoa powder<br />- 1/2 c. agave nectar<br />- 1/2 tsp. vanilla<br />- pinch of salt<br />- 3 T. water<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blend all ingredients together in a FP. </span> You can use less (or no) water if you want it to be very thick, but I wanted mine to blend better so I used the water to thin it out. I would normally <span style="font-weight: bold;">just eat it straight</span>, but I'm sending it to someone else to eat (Mike's coworker) so I rolled it into balls and put them into the refrigerator to harden.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoDSG6DrmHI/AAAAAAAABIs/mJPwe2SRMbg/s1600-h/blog+august+069.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoDSG6DrmHI/AAAAAAAABIs/mJPwe2SRMbg/s320/blog+august+069.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368521771931375730" border="0" /></a><br />Wow. <span style="font-style: italic;">Words cannot describe how good this is!! </span> My mind is spinning at all of the fun possibilities to make with this Nutella..... <span style="font-weight: bold;">baked goods, crepes, etc.</span><br />*<br />I had a lot of fun recreating this raw/vegan version of a typically SAD (standard american diet) junk food: <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">What "junk" or unhealthy food do you wish there was a version of?</span> <br />*<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gratitude Journal:</span><br />1) Loved spinning today<br />2) So excited that I got some work pants that fit, yay!! Now if I can just lay off the Nutella so they stay my size ;)<br />3) NUTELLA... need I say more? :)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-82638012726602708992009-08-10T15:49:00.000-07:002009-08-10T17:20:01.057-07:00A day of shopping and making "Nutella"= happinessHola, bloggers!<br />*<br />This morning I woke up with <span style="font-weight: bold;">a bit of a sore throat</span>... but no fear, if I end up getting anything that means hopefully I'll have time to knock it out before work starts. I took an Airborne just to be safe ,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> and of course a juice</span>.... I'm running low and celery sadly so I savored this one ! (celery, spinach, 1/2 lemon, ginger root, apple)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCm-IZOrzI/AAAAAAAABIk/61MGGK2nHZ0/s1600-h/blog+august+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCm-IZOrzI/AAAAAAAABIk/61MGGK2nHZ0/s320/blog+august+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368474342161035058" border="0" /></a>For whatever reason, I was <span style="font-weight: bold;">really hungry</span> this morning. I usually only have a juice before my workout which usually suffices, but today I had a huge appetite - <span style="font-weight: bold;">I blame it on the fact that I was drooling over too many food blogs ;)</span><br />*<br />I tried this: <span style="font-weight: bold;"> coconut milk yogurt!!</span> What a fun concept, right? <span style="font-style: italic;">Dairy-free and soy-free</span>, I love that. I dumped in about a T. of flax seed and some coconut... and it was good. So good, that I wanted more.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCm9g-9CFI/AAAAAAAABIc/AlPV_Tnv2lE/s1600-h/blog+august+062.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCm9g-9CFI/AAAAAAAABIc/AlPV_Tnv2lE/s320/blog+august+062.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368474331581843538" border="0" /></a>So, I threw what was left into a bigger bowl and added another yogurt cup, but one that was "chocolate" flavored. I thought THAT might not be enough, so <span style="font-weight: bold;">I also grabbed this</span>...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCm9brWYtI/AAAAAAAABIU/SmH9ond8b5Q/s1600-h/blog+august+063.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCm9brWYtI/AAAAAAAABIU/SmH9ond8b5Q/s320/blog+august+063.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368474330157441746" border="0" /></a>Hmmm... the chocolate yogurt ended up being a bit too sweet. I still have a huge sweet tooth obvi - as you can tell from <span style="font-weight: bold;">my obsession with baking vegan desserts on a daily basis</span> - but I am totally turned off by anything artificial-tasting. I'll give them a "B" rating. So I didn't finish the yogurt, but I did finish the pumpkin/flax bar. I didn't love the taste too much, but it was <span style="font-weight: bold;">surprisingly filling </span>so I would give it a B, as well.<br />*<br />Today was more spinning... LOVE IT. During the class I kept thinking how amazing it is that <span style="font-weight: bold;">literally a few weeks ago - less than 2 months ago, for sure - I actually loathed spinning.</span> I remember sitting in class scheming up ways to leave class early, and counting down the seconds. I was in misery. But now, I love that "good pian" that comes from spinning, and I truly feel like I have to go at least twice a week to get my "spinning fix".<br />*<br />I felt pretty stuffed from a big lunch -I know it didn't look but, but the bar was almost 300 calories, <span style="font-weight: bold;">plus 2 yogurts, flax, coconut, and juice</span> - ended up being a lot for me so early in the morning.<br />*<br />So, to keep it light, lunch was something I haven't had in a while - some almond milk mixed with chocolate Amazing Grass. So good! <span style="font-weight: bold;">I forgot how chocolately and refreshing this is</span>... I definitely need to remind myself to have some more often.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmOQMlN5I/AAAAAAAABIM/FyidcWH69WI/s1600-h/blog+august+064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmOQMlN5I/AAAAAAAABIM/FyidcWH69WI/s320/blog+august+064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368473519621748626" border="0" /></a>I went downtown today to look for some work pants. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> First stop: Marshall's! </span> I ended up trying on 16 pairs of pants, but they didn't have anything that fit. I hate to say it, but it felt a tiny bit nice that everything I tried on was too big for me since the reason I was shopping in the first place was that my old pants had gotten EXTREMELY small on me and I had been feeling guilty about that :(<br />*<br />I did find these <span style="font-weight: bold;">cute plates </span>however!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmN5OPQzI/AAAAAAAABIE/qk4L8UBfaVs/s1600-h/blog+august+065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmN5OPQzI/AAAAAAAABIE/qk4L8UBfaVs/s320/blog+august+065.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368473513454682930" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmNWhU6fI/AAAAAAAABH8/Q8uG1XXkZi0/s1600-h/blog+august+066.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmNWhU6fI/AAAAAAAABH8/Q8uG1XXkZi0/s320/blog+august+066.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368473504139504114" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmM_QISGI/AAAAAAAABH0/DMk2jgUBXM0/s1600-h/blog+august+067.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmM_QISGI/AAAAAAAABH0/DMk2jgUBXM0/s320/blog+august+067.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368473497893357666" border="0" /></a>Aren't those adorable!?!? I didn't buy them, but I wanted to <span style="font-weight: bold;">just because they made me smile :)</span> I ended up spending many, many hours clothes shopping. Thankfully I found some work pants that fit <span style="font-style: italic;">without </span>having to get hemmed - hooray! I also may have made a sneak trip to Trader Joe's ;) Oh man, it's so sad how much <span style="font-weight: bold;">I look forward to my TJ and WF sprees</span> lol...<br />*<br />I was <span style="font-weight: bold;">starving</span> when I got back - I had been gone much longer than I had planned on!!! I finished off the <span style="font-weight: bold;">lentil salad </span>that <a href="http://marathonval.blogspot.com/2009/08/vegan.html">I had leftover from Saturday.</a> This recipe was great after sitting in the fridge for a couple days! So good...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmMUOkLQI/AAAAAAAABHs/ff5_IPXUmvg/s1600-h/blog+august+061.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoCmMUOkLQI/AAAAAAAABHs/ff5_IPXUmvg/s320/blog+august+061.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368473486344072450" border="0" /></a>Alright, I can't post it now because Mike needs the computer for work but I will leave you with this... early this evening I created something........ <span style="font-weight: bold;">spectacular</span>. Something.... <span style="font-weight: bold;">marvelous.</span> I created.... <span style="font-weight: bold;">all-natural, raw, vegan, NUTELLA!!!! </span>Yes my friends, <span style="font-style: italic;">I did the impossible. </span> Check my next posting later tonight for the recipe!!! :)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-47128522742286867082009-08-10T08:16:00.000-07:002009-08-10T08:16:00.051-07:00* MaRaThOn MoNdAy * : Health benefits<div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmYRsADi5jI/AAAAAAAAAr4/TSXNmdvu3Js/s1600-h/healthy+heart.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360991854057940530" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 310px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmYRsADi5jI/AAAAAAAAAr4/TSXNmdvu3Js/s320/healthy+heart.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>When people find out I am training for my third marathon, often I get a positive response - <em>"Wow, that's amazing, good for you!"</em></div><br /><br /><div>Sometimes, however, I am faced with <strong>disdain, incredous looks and bad attitudes</strong>. Many people have responded to my marathon journey by telling me how unhealthy it is, how I am going to ruin my knees, etc, etc, etc.</div><br /><br /><div>Here are some reasons why it is indeed <strong>VERY</strong> healthy to train for a marathon (aside from the obvious ones - <em>it helps decrease stress, boosts self-confidence, etc</em>.):</div><br /><br /><div>* There is a man (maybe in his 40s or 50s?) in my CARA running group who is training for his first marathon - <em>after having a heart attack</em> - <strong>BECAUSE</strong> his doctor specifically said that the cardiovascular benefits to his health would balance out any wear and tear on his joints. Crazy!</div><br /><br /><div>* Those who run 50+ miles per week have been found to have <strong>greater increases in HDL levels</strong> (good cholesterol) and <strong>lower levels of LDL levels</strong> (bad cholesterol)</div><br /><br /><div>* Long distance runners have <em>lower levels of trigylcerides, body fat, and the risk of coronary heart disease</em> than runners who run less than 10 miles a week</div><br /><br /><div>* Long distance runners have a <strong>50% reduction in high blood pressure</strong></div><br /><br /><div>* Long distance runners can be <em>as much as 3 times more effective at consuming oxygen</em></div><br /><br /><div>* <strong>Dr. Bassler's famous "marathon theory"</strong> says that if you train for and complete a marathon, you will become immune to death by heart attack for at least a full year if not much longer</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>* When I ran my first Chicago Marathon, there were over 80 people who were <em>over the age of 80</em> running the marathon that day!!! Amazing!!! So much for the theory that all runners will end up wheelchair bound when our knees give out lol....</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>I love this quote by <strong>Dr. Paul D. Thompson</strong>, director of preventative cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut: </div><br /><br /><div><em>" We're unquestionably more at risk the hour a day that we run, but the other 23 hours in a day, we are much less at risk. In balance, you're much safer exercising than not exercising".</em> </div><br /><br /><div> </div><br /><div>In short, while there are always health risks involved with any form of exercise, overall most physicians agree that the benefits of being a long distance runner far outweight the negatives! </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong><em>How do you respond to people who tell you that running isn't healthy?</em></strong></div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> Happy running everone! :)</div></div>Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-40436307684058202802009-08-10T06:19:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:21:50.746-07:00* MaRaThOn MoNdAy * : Health benefits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoAe0JgK4zI/AAAAAAAABHk/8JP1nxxV13k/s1600-h/running+heart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 96px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SoAe0JgK4zI/AAAAAAAABHk/8JP1nxxV13k/s320/running+heart.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368324637078512434" border="0" /></a><br /><div>When people find out I am training for my third marathon, often I get a positive response - <em>"Wow, that's amazing, good for you!"</em></div><br /><br /><div>Sometimes, however, I am faced with <strong>disdain, incredous looks and bad attitudes</strong>. Many people have responded to my marathon journey by telling me how unhealthy it is, how I am going to ruin my knees, etc, etc, etc.</div><br /><br /><div>Here are some reasons why it is indeed <strong>VERY</strong> healthy to train for a marathon (aside from the obvious ones - <em>it helps decrease stress, boosts self-confidence, etc</em>.):</div><br /><br /><div>* There is a man (maybe in his 40s or 50s?) in my CARA running group who is training for his first marathon - <em>after having a heart attack</em> - <strong>BECAUSE</strong> his doctor specifically said that the cardiovascular benefits to his health would balance out any wear and tear on his joints. Crazy!</div><br /><br /><div>* Those who run 50+ miles per week have been found to have <strong>greater increases in HDL levels</strong> (good cholesterol) and <strong>lower levels of LDL levels</strong> (bad cholesterol)</div><br /><br /><div>* Long distance runners have <em>lower levels of trigylcerides, body fat, and the risk of coronary heart disease</em> than runners who run less than 10 miles a week</div><br /><br /><div>* Long distance runners have a <strong>50% reduction in high blood pressure</strong></div><br /><br /><div>* Long distance runners can be <em>as much as 3 times more effective at consuming oxygen</em></div><br /><br /><div>* <strong>Dr. Bassler's famous "marathon theory"</strong> says that if you train for and complete a marathon, you will become immune to death by heart attack for at least a full year if not much longer</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>* When I ran my first Chicago Marathon, there were over 80 people who were <em>over the age of 80</em> running the marathon that day!!! Amazing!!! So much for the theory that all runners will end up wheelchair bound when our knees give out lol....</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>I love this quote by <strong>Dr. Paul D. Thompson</strong>, director of preventative cardiology at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut: </div><br /><br /><div><em>" We're unquestionably more at risk the hour a day that we run, but the other 23 hours in a day, we are much less at risk. In balance, you're much safer exercising than not exercising".</em> </div><br /><br /><div> </div><br /><div>In short, while there are always health risks involved with any form of exercise, overall most physicians agree that the benefits of being a long distance runner far outweight the negatives! </div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong><em>How do you respond to people who tell you that running isn't healthy?</em></strong></div><br /><div> </div><br /><div> Happy running everone! :)</div>Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-74963751084030190662009-08-09T19:31:00.000-07:002009-08-09T19:44:54.775-07:00Time-saving tips<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn-Jly1PyQI/AAAAAAAABHc/KF6RUTXD1x4/s1600-h/time+saver+cartoon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 107px; height: 124px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn-Jly1PyQI/AAAAAAAABHc/KF6RUTXD1x4/s320/time+saver+cartoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368160563242191106" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hi everyone!</span><br /><br />I've been away from the computer all day so this is belated, AND I left my camera at home - wise, I know - so no pix from today.<br /><br />However, <span style="font-weight: bold;">the new blog (and giveaway!) will be up tomorrow or Tuesday.</span><br />To do a<span style="font-weight: bold;"> quick recap</span>, today was comprised of...<br />Breakfast #1: juice<br />Breakfast #2: 1/2 a whole wheat blueberry waffle, cherries and blueberries at Mike's parents' house<br />Lunch: fasolada (Greek bean and veggie soup)<br />Snack: lots of pistachios<br />Dinner: Yaya's delicious baked sweet potato fries, salad, and corn on the cob<br />Dessert: too many vegan "trinidad" candies! so addicting!<br /><br />*********************************************<br />Since I've been a <span style="font-weight: bold;">lame blogger</span> today, I'll leave you with this:<br /><br />I have to admit that I used to be a <span style="font-style: italic;">Cosmopolitan</span> junkie back in the day.... we are talking many, many years ago! I haven't picked up a copy of it in about a decade. However, <span style="font-weight: bold;">my little sis was in town </span>this weekend for a bachelorette party (for a girl I used to BABYSIT... talk about making me feel old lol!!!)... and left a copy for me to peruse.<br /><br />I stumbled upon an article entitled <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Score an Extra Hour a Day Just for Yourself!"</span><br /><br />Many of the tips were things you already know ("don't multi-task", "set mini deadlines", etc),but here are<span style="font-weight: bold;"> my favorite points from the article:<br /><br /></span> - Complete similar tasks in batches: such as running errands together, returning phone calls, etc. A University of Michigan study found that when you do this you save brain power<br /><br />- Follow the rule of two: every day pick one work task, and one personal task (such as going out to dinner or going to the gym) to commit to; everything else can get scheduled around them<br /><br />- The Firefox application LeechBlock lets you pick certain hours of the day when you are "allowed" to use certain websites, like Twitter or YouTube, and likewise it "forbids" you during other times of the day<br /><br />- Download Isolator (for Macs) or DropCloth (for Windows) which covers up everything on your desktop, including all icons, so all that you see is that document you are currently working on<br />- Chatterblocker.com sends out subtle white noise to drown out co-worker noise<br /><br />Just some things to think about as the work week is beginning tomorrow to perhaps make your life easier!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gratitude Journal:</span><br />1. Slept in today<br />2. Spent some QT with Mike's fam :)<br />3. Found some "comfy yet still orthoepedic" shoes for my poor, plantar fasciitis-ridden... one <span style="font-style: italic;">Born</span> brand and one <span style="font-style: italic;">Clark's</span>, for work<br /><br />I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! :)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-42768157191506801232009-08-08T18:02:00.000-07:002009-08-08T18:48:13.664-07:00Vegan "Fannie May trinidad truffle" candiesLike it's not bad enough that <span style="font-weight: bold;">my poor laptop has bitten the dust</span>... I've been relying on Mike's laptop all week but he was using it most of today for work. As many of you are similarly <span style="font-weight: bold;">addicted to email/blogs/twitter </span>etc, you can imagine how tough this was!<br />*<br />Soooo that's my excuse for not posting til so late. Listen to me.... I'm acting as if you guys have <span style="font-style: italic;">nothing better to do than reading my blog</span> ;)<br />*<br />I was a bit nervous for this morning's long run since <span style="font-weight: bold;">the temps were projected to be almost 100</span> for the high today. Luckily, at the beginning of our run it actually felt a bit cool and breezy, but it quickly turned very humid!<br />*<br />It was raining off and on during most of the 10 miles, but it wasn't a downpour so that was good. However, I've always found that <span style="font-weight: bold;">running more than a few miles in the rain = sore feet</span>, which happened again today. Do the soles of your feet get sore when running in the rain? Fortunately, <span style="font-weight: bold;">other than this it was a pretty good run</span>. Not a fabulous, effortless run like the 13 miler last week, but it could have been a lot worse. It definitely never got into the 90s during the run so that was a relief!<br />*<br />I tried some new Gu flavors during the run... the camera ate the pix (AGAIN), but I tried a <span style="font-weight: bold;">strawberry banana</span> (caffeine-free) and a <span style="font-weight: bold;">triple berry</span>, which had caffeine. I liked them both, especially the strawberry banana! I swear I could eat those things like dessert :)<br />*<br />Once I got home, I <span style="font-style: italic;">replenished my lost electrolyes</span> by chugging this...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hPEL2pMI/AAAAAAAABHU/yu7gRt1tnuM/s1600-h/blog+august+052.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hPEL2pMI/AAAAAAAABHU/yu7gRt1tnuM/s320/blog+august+052.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367764348577424578" border="0" /></a>I loved this flavor! Later, lunch involved <span style="font-weight: bold;">food processor fun</span>. I blended:<br />-1/3 c. water<br />- 1/4 c. lemon juice<br />- 1/2 c. cashews/macademia nuts<br />- 2 1/2 T. dried chives<br />- 1 T. dried rosemary<br />- 2 tsp. garlic powder<br />- salt and pepper to taste<br />*<br />I drizzled this over a salad of <span style="font-weight: bold;">tomatoes and cuke</span>...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hOlkO5AI/AAAAAAAABHM/qiosBUs5B24/s1600-h/blog+august+055.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hOlkO5AI/AAAAAAAABHM/qiosBUs5B24/s320/blog+august+055.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367764340358177794" border="0" /></a>It may not look appetizing, but Mike and I found that it tasted eerily <span style="font-weight: bold;">similar to Ranch dressing!</span> I loved this recipe.<br />*<br />Being (as usual) in the mood to bake, I set out to make another "experiment". The other day I walked by a huge sign in a downtown storefront window advertising for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fannie May trinidads</span>... you know, the truffles with the nutty, whiteish coating? I have had the urge to "recreate" these ever since.... <span style="font-style: italic;">but of course, raw and vegan!</span><br />*<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Truffle Recipe:</span><br />- 20 dates, chopped<br />- 1 c. cashews, chopped<br />Blend with.....<br />- 2 c. cocoa powder<br />- 1 1/2 c. agave nectar or maple syrup<br />- 1 T. coconut oil<br />- 1 tsp. vanilla extract<br />- 1 tsp. almond extract<br />- pinch salt<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recipe for the "icing":</span><br />- 1 1/2 c. dried unsweetened coconut<br />- 6 T. coconut oil<br />- 6 T. agave nectar<br />- 1 1/2 c. cashews, ground<br />- 8 T. water<br />- pinch salt<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Directions for assembly:</span><br />1. Prepare truffles, and put into the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill and harden so that they are easier to roll into balls.<br />2. Use melon ball scooper (or something similarly sized) to scoop - using your hands will get too messy and you won't be able to roll the balls properly (TWSS).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hOB9CXbI/AAAAAAAABHE/kXJ-ShICJI0/s1600-h/blog+august+056.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hOB9CXbI/AAAAAAAABHE/kXJ-ShICJI0/s320/blog+august+056.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367764330798538162" border="0" /></a>3. Lay the balls onto wax or tin foil and freeze in layers.<br />4. Meanwhile, make the icing/coating/whatever you want to call it. Dip the balls into the mixture and then freeze again<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hNiCPr4I/AAAAAAAABG8/25shWjDwLcY/s1600-h/blog+august+057.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hNiCPr4I/AAAAAAAABG8/25shWjDwLcY/s320/blog+august+057.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367764322230448002" border="0" /></a>These turned out awesome. Next time I make them I just need to figure out how to make them <span style="font-weight: bold;">prettier </span>- the icing layer is a bit "goopy" from the coconut - I may thin it out a bit or just blend it. <br />*<br />Speaking of blenders, after getting the new blender blade in the mail from Cuisinart and having Mike successfully installing it, my blender worked for about 5 minutes... <span style="font-weight: bold;">before starting to smoke like a chimney!!!</span> Ok Cuisart, I'm pretty sure I told your customer service rep that a replacement blade <span style="font-style: italic;">was not gonna cut it, </span>but maybe now you will believe me that I just need a new blender already!!<br />*<br />Dinner was fun tonight too, even though it officially used up every single veggie I have left, minus the cukes I'm saving for tomorrow's juice. (*Tear*, *sniffle*). Here's the recipe I came up with:<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Summer Lentil Salad</span><br />- Prepare lentils (I used one bag's worth of red lentils)<br />- Chill in fridge until completely cooled<br />- Chop 2 tomatoes<br />- Chop 1/2 onion<br />- Chop 1 c. cilantro<br />- Make dressing from 1/2 c. walnut oil, 1/c c. lemon juice, S, P, and garlic to taste<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hNc-DbeI/AAAAAAAABG0/Ki7B7iyn02M/s1600-h/blog+august+060.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn4hNc-DbeI/AAAAAAAABG0/Ki7B7iyn02M/s320/blog+august+060.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367764320870690274" border="0" /></a>I really loved this too! <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm so jealous of people who get to cook all day for a living</span>......*sigh*.... a girl can dream!<br />*<br />On a completely unrelated note, I wanted to let <span style="font-weight: bold;">all you animal lovers out there</span> know that the small, furry animal that ran into our condo the other night was a neighbor's miniature hamster and luckily it was returned to its owner :)<br />*<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gratitude Journal:</span><br />1. I completed my 10 miler in the high heat!<br />2. Had fun cooking today<br />3. My mom ordered me two VEGAN cookbooks.... yay!!! She told me to check my mailbox for a box from <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Amazon.com</span></span>, and the first thing I thought of was that I hoped they were vegan cookbooks - I have a few vegetarian cookbooks but none for vegans. She knows me so well.... what a great mom! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanks Mom you're the best!!! :-) </span> I'll be talking more about these cookbooks later in the week.<br />*<br />Have a great Saturday night everyone!Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-36341183524910252082009-08-08T10:35:00.000-07:002009-08-08T10:59:13.356-07:00Presto pesto<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn246olgmaI/AAAAAAAABGk/2RzhOgI-7CA/s1600-h/blog+august+048.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn246olgmaI/AAAAAAAABGk/2RzhOgI-7CA/s320/blog+august+048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367649648362166690" border="0" /></a>Yum! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doesn't that just look delicious?!?!</span> I mentioned yesterday that I had gotten arugular instead of spinach by accident, but I used to it to my advantage by making an easy but very tasty arugula pesto last night.<br />*<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pesto recipe:</span><br />- 1/2 c. pine nuts (this gives it that distinct "pesto" taste I think, but other nuts would be good too, such as walnuts)<br />- 1/4 c. EVOO<br />- 3 very loosely packed c. arugula (hard to measure but that's my guesstimate)<br />-1 T. lemon juice<br />- 1 T. minced garlic (or less if you aren't a garlic fiend like me)<br />- salt and pepper to taste<br />- Blend all ingredients in the FP (if you have a big one you can just throw them all in together; I have a mini so I would recommend adding in the arugula last and in stages)<br />*<br />YUM. I wish I had more arugula to make more of this! I will definitely be making it again.<br />*<br />For pizza night last night, Mike's pie involved:<br />- homemade pasta sauce<br />- mozzarella cheese<br />- caramelized onions<br />- black olives<br />*<br />Mine was a bit more complicated:<br />- the sauce on half the pizza<br />- the other half had the arugula pesto as its base, no sauce<br />- the sauce part was covered in vegan cheese, both mozz and cheddar<br />- a small piece of the pesto section had cheese<br />- a small part of the pesto portion had sauce AND cheese<br />- everything had black olives and capers<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn246Qbl82I/AAAAAAAABGc/b_PIRO1l2Oc/s1600-h/blog+august+049.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn246Qbl82I/AAAAAAAABGc/b_PIRO1l2Oc/s320/blog+august+049.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367649641878123362" border="0" /></a>Yikes - <span style="font-weight: bold;">wouldn't that make a terrible word problem on the SAT's?!? </span>I was so weird about the toppings because I wanted to experiment to see what topping combos I liked the best, and I was worried that the tomato sauce on top of the pesto would drown out the <span style="font-style: italic;">rich but subtle</span> flavors in the pesto.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn245tSx1oI/AAAAAAAABGU/I9cYOQysG6k/s1600-h/blog+august+050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn245tSx1oI/AAAAAAAABGU/I9cYOQysG6k/s320/blog+august+050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367649632445912706" border="0" /></a>My verdict was that vegan cheese is great on some things - <span style="font-weight: bold;">like crackers or tomato slices </span>- but not on pizza. I felt like it really took away from the fresh flavors of the homemade sauce and pesto. <span style="font-weight: bold;">My favorite was just the pesto with the olives and capers..... mmmmmm....</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn245bsqmnI/AAAAAAAABGM/1NYGHeXYqH4/s1600-h/blog+august+051.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sn245bsqmnI/AAAAAAAABGM/1NYGHeXYqH4/s320/blog+august+051.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367649627722652274" border="0" /></a>I had a ton of pizza for dinner so that was all that I ate last night.... and thankfully I was able to make it an early night since this morning I had<span style="font-weight: bold;"> my early long run</span>..... posting on that to come soon! :)<br /><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/MLAMON%7E1/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" />Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-6223500257386968722009-08-07T18:34:00.000-07:002009-08-07T18:40:38.329-07:00Lazy pizza night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnzXf0tJF8I/AAAAAAAABGE/1eWKaJlVJZ8/s1600-h/pizza+cartoon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnzXf0tJF8I/AAAAAAAABGE/1eWKaJlVJZ8/s320/pizza+cartoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367401797642688450" border="0" /></a><br />Hi everyone!<br /><br />I'm finishing up watching <span style="font-style: italic;">The Juror </span>with Mike and then I'm head to bed... tomorrow is a cut-back week so it's<span style="font-weight: bold;"> only a 10 miler</span>, but it's supposed to get to <span style="font-weight: bold;">almost 100 degrees tomorrow</span> and I know the heat will make it a much harder run. So, I want to be fully rested!<br /><br />Check back tomorrow for:<br />- My fabulous arugula pesto recipe from tonight's pesto pizza!!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">- Hopefully my new blog will be up and running!?!??! </span><br />- News of a great giveaway!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gratitude Journal:</span><br />1. Lovely yoga class... I definitely need to start going once a week at least<br />2. <span style="font-style: italic;">Julie & Julia</span> was spectacular!!! I truly am sad that I won't be able to see it again until it's out on video, it was that good!<br />3. Love the lazy pizza and movie night with Mike<br /><br />Goodnight! :-)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-41016281935622956372009-08-07T14:25:00.000-07:002009-08-07T14:57:01.484-07:00I am in love with Meryl StreepIt's true, I am! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Movie review to follow....</span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snyd6n9ADmI/AAAAAAAABF8/E6Ecrze2kkQ/s1600-h/julie+and+julia+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snyd6n9ADmI/AAAAAAAABF8/E6Ecrze2kkQ/s320/julie+and+julia+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367338486401601122" border="0" /></a>But first, <span style="font-weight: bold;">EATS!</span><br />*<br />Juice for breakfast. I found out that I <span style="font-style: italic;">accidentally bought arugula instead of spinach, </span>but it tasted awesome in my juice nonetheless :) There was also two fabulous kiwis (fully dressed with skin on), but the photo apparently was camera-shy today.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snydm5wTMDI/AAAAAAAABF0/S2IUV36I_8A/s1600-h/blog+august+020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snydm5wTMDI/AAAAAAAABF0/S2IUV36I_8A/s320/blog+august+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367338147582783538" border="0" /></a>As <a href="twitter.com/marathonvalerie">I twittered </a>earlier today, I was <span style="font-weight: bold;">craving guac</span> early this morning but I tried to make myself wait until at least 10am, haha. It felt weird to have it for breakfast! I had 1/2 leftover avocado from last night, so I quickly threw in some tomato, cilantro, and seasonings. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It was a great but unconventional "breakfast" :)</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnydmfDMADI/AAAAAAAABFs/WYevt59AoBs/s1600-h/blog+august+045.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnydmfDMADI/AAAAAAAABFs/WYevt59AoBs/s320/blog+august+045.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367338140414246962" border="0" /></a>Before leaving the house, I quickly chowed on <span style="font-style: italic;">a lot</span> of dates. I truly can't help myself around dates!! Ahh..... soooo good but I realize that eating handul after handful is probably not the best idea. I threw all of these items together -<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Newman's Own Organics dried apples and 4 different samples from Living Nuts</span> - for a trailmix for the movie later. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snydl6GrBnI/AAAAAAAABFk/E9R_MqTWHdo/s1600-h/blog+august+046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snydl6GrBnI/AAAAAAAABFk/E9R_MqTWHdo/s320/blog+august+046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367338130496751218" border="0" /></a>It was a fun mix since the nuts were in various flavors, ranging from<span style="font-weight: bold;"> banana to cinnamon to sea salt to chocolate!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnydlAssTkI/AAAAAAAABFc/ULtmFfPwgEI/s1600-h/blog+august+047.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnydlAssTkI/AAAAAAAABFc/ULtmFfPwgEI/s320/blog+august+047.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367338115086962242" border="0" /></a>I went to yoga today <span style="font-style: italic;">for the first time in about 2 months!!</span> For whatever reason, I have a hard time going to yoga even though I do enjoy it, and I want to go more. However, I rarely want to add it on on top of my "regular" workout, and I am still in the mindset that it is more relaxation than a workout of its own. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Does anyone else feel this way, or do you often do yoga instead of a "normal" cardo workout?</span><br />*<br />Wow.... it was tougher than I thought!! I fit it into my schedule today partially because I thought it would be a g<span style="font-weight: bold;">ood, calming, low-impact exercise</span> today before my long run tomorrow. However, it's very possible that my poor legs will be sore tomorrow!! There were a ton of <span style="font-weight: bold;">twists and turns </span>that I did not see coming!<br />*<br />After yoga, I went to see <span style="font-style: italic;">Julie & Julia</span>. I just could not wait any longer to see this!! I have been sooo excited ever since I heard that it was being made into a movie, since I read (and loved) the book years ago.<br />*<br />Honestly, this movie was FABULOUS!!!! I am pretty extremely gosh darn excited for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Time Traveler's Wife </span>coming out next Friday (that's an understatement), so I hope you don't think I'm fickle when I gush about that one too, but truly <span style="font-style: italic;">J & J </span>was even better than I expected it to be!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnydkqQao9I/AAAAAAAABFU/YnsXbFPNKls/s1600-h/julie+and+julia+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnydkqQao9I/AAAAAAAABFU/YnsXbFPNKls/s320/julie+and+julia+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367338109062783954" border="0" /></a>I literally <span style="font-weight: bold;">had a smile on my face the entire time. </span> It was just that kind of a movie!! It was <span style="font-weight: bold;">extremely heartfelt, inspiring, and hilarious all at the same time!!!</span> Meryl Streep has really wowed me recently, in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Devil Wear's Prada</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Mamma Mia </span>(she was SOOOO good in <span style="font-style: italic;">Mamma Mia</span>). This just put her over the top, and I really think she may be my favorite actress. Although Amy Adams did a great job as well, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Meryl really stole the show. </span> She was so on the money with her portrayal of Julia Child, and she played the character with such <span style="font-weight: bold;">exuberance and zest for life</span> it was just stunning. This woman deserves an Oscar!! Soooo good. I haven't actually read the "official" reviews yet and I have no idea how many stars this movie got, but <span style="font-style: italic;">I would give it 4 for sure.</span><br />*<br />I'm sure many of you out there will love it as well - especially those of us who love blogging <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> cooking!!! <span style="font-weight: bold;">It was a very uplifting film, the kind that I would love to go back to see again. </span> I left itching to come home and watch Julia Child videos!<br />*<br />Now I'm off to start <span style="font-weight: bold;">preparing our pizzas! </span> I'm still in the afterglow of <span style="font-style: italic;">J & J</span>... *sigh*.... wish I could see it again... if you don't have plans tonight go see it ASAP, you won't regret it ;)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-19623085900864881052009-08-07T06:18:00.000-07:002009-08-07T06:39:01.194-07:00A Frango mint while running..... yes please!I'm gonna do a <span style="font-weight: bold;">quick recap from last night </span>- Mike needed the computer for important work stuff which took priority over my blogging, if you can believe it ;)<br />*<br />You may recall that I made Mike a <span style="font-weight: bold;">shrimp diablo pasta </span>dish on Monday..... which he raved about... but got a bit sick of eating for the next few lunches. So, with the leftovers I made it into a <span style="font-weight: bold;">mock lasagna</span> of sorts. Basically, that just meant throwing it into a pan with some more sauce and dousing it in cheese :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnwqBlh9QnI/AAAAAAAABFM/J1wkE2nQTIg/s1600-h/blog+august+043.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnwqBlh9QnI/AAAAAAAABFM/J1wkE2nQTIg/s320/blog+august+043.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367211062661562994" border="0" /></a>I ate a <span style="font-weight: bold;">frozen banana for my pre-run fuel. </span>Honestly, the banana soft serve is awesome, but it literally takes about 10 minutes and tons of sticking my knife into the miniFP to mix it up, etc. to get a good soft serve. Just eating the frozen banana is just as tasty but <span style="font-style: italic;">much quicker, easier, and with less clean-up!</span><br />*<br />I could have easily done a 7 miler without a Gu in the middle,but <span style="font-weight: bold;">I wanted to test out a new flavor </span>(to see how my stomach reacted to it) so I brought this guy for the halfway point. (I just brought one, but I put another one upside down so you can read the stats!)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnwqBCSOApI/AAAAAAAABFE/h5_6CfKf2Jk/s1600-h/blog+august+044.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnwqBCSOApI/AAAAAAAABFE/h5_6CfKf2Jk/s320/blog+august+044.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367211053200310930" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">It was pretty good weather for a 7 miler last night since we left so late at night.</span> However, we turned around at around 3 miles, instead of at the 3 1/2 mile point, since it was getting dark - Mike was on rollerblades, and while I could have seen ok in the semi-light to run, it would have been more dangerous for him. <br />*<br />Once I got home, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I did another mile on the treadmill</span>... which was tough work!!! Yikes!! Our treadmill doesn't have a lower setting than 1.5 elevation, so it was much harder than running on the street, oddly enough. So I actually did a .5 mile, stopped to chill on the balcony for a minute to cool off, and then did the other .5 mile. <br />*<br />I wanted to make sure I got in the FULL 7 miles.... <span style="font-style: italic;">normally it might not matter as much,</span> but I accidentally only did a 3 miler earlier this week (when I should have done a 4 miler), and I already run less runs per week then the training schedule calls for. I do this because it helps me stay injury-free, but since I run less frequently than most runners, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I try to adhere to "my" personalized schedule as much as possible.</span> If I'm only going to have 3 runs per week, I want to make sure I do them right!<br />*<br />After my run I had no appetite, but I knew I needed to eat something after running for over an hour so I had a bowl of daikon soup that I had made that morning (unpictured cuz it's not much to look at, but tastes great!)<br />*<br />Oh and I should mention that the mint chocolate Gu flavor is awesome!!! <span style="font-weight: bold;">It reminded me of a Frango mint </span>(you Chicagoans know what I'm talkin bout).... very good!! I can see myself sneaking to eat one of these when I am having a dessert craving ;)<br />*<br />I'm going to go pick up Mike's drycleaning and then head to yoga and then it's PIZZA NIGHT!!! I'm also excited that <span style="font-weight: bold;">my new blog will be up and running super soon</span>.... so keep checking back! Happy Friday everyone!! :)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-86910173545048852142009-08-06T13:38:00.000-07:002009-08-06T14:19:29.168-07:00Sleepy day: Chia seeds to the rescue?I don't know if you read my midnight posting from last night or not, but let's just sum it up by saying <span style="font-weight: bold;">I did not get enough sleep last night!</span><br />*<br />Ironically I had gone to bed <span style="font-style: italic;">the earliest I had all summer,</span> but I ended up not falling back asleep until 3am, got up at 7, and I was tired allll day.<br />*<br />Part of the reason I couldn't sleep was that <span style="font-weight: bold;">my brain kept going at 80mph </span>, thinking about.... recipes!!!! I've always been someone who has a lot of dreams, and during work I usually dream about work every, single night. Yes, it is really annoying!!!<br />*<br />Last night I did not dream about work, but instead, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I dreamed up recipe ideas in my head. </span> I had been searching for something to do with my daikon, so this was the main focus of my nocturnal musings. I had used it for a 'salad' of sorts yesterday, so it seemed only natural that I make a soup with it today. However, I wanted to keep it raw and didn't want to have a hot soup..... problem was, my blender is broken....<br />*<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Voilah!</span> My brain must think better at 3am, since it finally occurred to me that <span style="font-weight: bold;">I have an immersion blender!!</span> Now this thing wouldn't work to blend just anything - it wouldn't work on a GM for example - but most soups should be a piece of cake.<br />*<br />In my head while half-asleep, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I crafted up the recipe for a blended daikon miso soup. </span>I thought about the miso since everything I had read about daikon online lead me to believe that it is prominent in Japanese cuisine, and I loved the daikon with miso dressing yesterday.<br />*<br />Sooooo, once I woke up at 7am, the first thing I did was <span style="font-weight: bold;">make some soup!</span> First I sliced the daikon up really thin and threw it into a pot, like so....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntBGtbcdJI/AAAAAAAABE8/N2p4kIc7Nps/s1600-h/blog+august+036.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntBGtbcdJI/AAAAAAAABE8/N2p4kIc7Nps/s320/blog+august+036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366954964471805074" border="0" /></a>Then I covered the daikon with water and, without adding any other ingredients yet, tried the immersion blender. <span style="font-style: italic;">Yay, it worked!!! </span>So I then added miso paste, EVOO, soy sauce, maple syrup, and some ginger. These ingredients go sooo well together... <span style="font-weight: bold;">I love making that "sushi" taste in non-sushi dishes.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntBGM2yZvI/AAAAAAAABE0/BL7aeYREO98/s1600-h/blog+august+037.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntBGM2yZvI/AAAAAAAABE0/BL7aeYREO98/s320/blog+august+037.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366954955728119538" border="0" /></a><br />The soup was good! It made a TON so I have tons of leftover. No photo since it is basically white, creamy soup - not much to look at but it tastes great :)<br />*<br />Then I went to Whole Foods, <span style="font-weight: bold;">something else I had been dreaming about last night...</span> yes I know I am VERY weird lol. I was very good about sticking to my list - all I got was a lot of apples (for juicing), tons of tomatoes (because I love them), a couple bananas (I need one before my Saturday long runs), flax oil, calcium tablets, pasta sauce (to make something for Mike tonight), and I also got a couple coconut milk yogurt cups just for fun, to try out. I love that you can get yogurt that is dairy <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> soy-free!<br />*<br />Back at home, after <span style="font-weight: bold;">replenishing my previously barren apple supply</span> I made a juice. Yum!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntBFn-7aPI/AAAAAAAABEs/YqJVpPqjzF0/s1600-h/blog+august+020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntBFn-7aPI/AAAAAAAABEs/YqJVpPqjzF0/s320/blog+august+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366954945830152434" border="0" /></a>And snacked on a couple of these (frozen grapes - what a treat! <span style="font-weight: bold;">As good as a popsicle, I tell ya</span>)<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAQ8JegCI/AAAAAAAABEk/LZjWSNBv7Wg/s1600-h/blog+august+038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAQ8JegCI/AAAAAAAABEk/LZjWSNBv7Wg/s320/blog+august+038.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366954040710037538" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lunch was snacky</span>, and in a few segments. <br />*<br />Segment #1: <span style="font-weight: bold;">tomato slices with both cheddar and mozzarella vegan cheese. </span> MMM. I like both flavors, but I think I like cheddar the best!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAQUkc7rI/AAAAAAAABEc/MBeaPoGVP5I/s1600-h/blog+august+040.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAQUkc7rI/AAAAAAAABEc/MBeaPoGVP5I/s320/blog+august+040.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366954030085762738" border="0" /></a>Isn't this weird... it's not the light, this avocado really WAS purple!!! Luckily it ended up tasting just fine :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAP3c_LOI/AAAAAAAABEU/nZtZNpc7dog/s1600-h/blog+august+039.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAP3c_LOI/AAAAAAAABEU/nZtZNpc7dog/s320/blog+august+039.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366954022269824226" border="0" /></a>Lunch segment #2: <span style="font-weight: bold;"> sunflower seed burgers with fresh avocados and tomato.</span> This. Is. So. GOOOOOOD. I was dying to have the other two, butttttt instead I took a nap.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAPUqVQmI/AAAAAAAABEM/GEfkbezAQ0A/s1600-h/blog+august+041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAPUqVQmI/AAAAAAAABEM/GEfkbezAQ0A/s320/blog+august+041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366954012930556514" border="0" /></a>I am <span style="font-style: italic;">so exhausted</span> today!!! After a 1/2 hour nap, I did indeed have the other remaining sunflower seed burgers (2 of them) for Lunch part #3.<br />*<br />Still soooo sleepy and <span style="font-weight: bold;">wanting to get up my energy before my 7 miler tonight</span>, I turned to chia seeds. This time, I did good!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAO4pYo0I/AAAAAAAABEE/d5iooeD6KVs/s1600-h/blog+august+042.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SntAO4pYo0I/AAAAAAAABEE/d5iooeD6KVs/s320/blog+august+042.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366954005410390850" border="0" /></a><br />I mixed <span style="font-weight: bold;">2 T. chia seeds, 1/2 c. almond milk, 1/4 c. dried coconut, Truvia and cinnamon</span> and mixed it in the miniFP. It was really good, but will it give me its patented "energy boost"? <span style="font-style: italic;">Only time will tell....</span><br />***************************************<br />I am trying to avoid revving myself up with caffeine. I don't know about you guys, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">I have a weird relationship with caffeine. </span> I went for years of drinking an enormous jug of coffee <span style="font-style: italic;">every day</span>...... to swearing it off for years completely... for drinking it only on long run mornings.... to drinking it only on weekdays.... to this summer, <span style="font-style: italic;">only drinking it before long runs.</span> <br />*<br />Looking back to the days when I drank tons of the stuff EVERY day, I don't want to get to a point where it stops to "work" on me. Coffee tastes good but clearly <span style="font-weight: bold;">I also like the energy boost</span>, and I am afraid that if I have some every day then it will no longer have this effect. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">People, am I crazy??? </span> Once I start work again in a few weeks I'm debating whether to go with coffee in the morning, or some green tea (I like the Yogi Energy Green tea), or just juice? <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Thoughts??</span><br />*<br />Right now I'm <span style="font-weight: bold;">chugging some decaf green tea </span>hoping it will give me a mental boost (or at the very least, that the placebo effect will kick in!) and I plan to munch on a <span style="font-weight: bold;">frozen banana</span> before going for my run later tonight. Catch ya later!Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-60502435860198745042009-08-06T05:17:00.000-07:002009-08-06T06:09:34.962-07:00More info on the proposed food safety bill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnrV1qWMvCI/AAAAAAAABD0/vub3E7fg0Xc/s1600-h/ecoli.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnrV1qWMvCI/AAAAAAAABD0/vub3E7fg0Xc/s320/ecoli.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366837023842548770" border="0" /></a><br />Here is some more info about H.R. 2749 (which was just passed in the House) and its equivalent in the Senate, S. 510, which I originally blogged about <a href="http://marathonval.blogspot.com/2009/08/new-food-safety-bill.html">here.</a> Here is a passage from FoodPolitics.com:<br />***********************************************<br /><a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2749"> </a> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>THE HOUSE BILL, H.R. 2749, requires each food facility to:</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">(1) Conduct a hazard analysis, (2) Implement preventive controls, and (3) Implement a food safety plan. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Requires FDA</strong> to:</span></p> <blockquote><p><span style="font-size:78%;">(1) Issue science-based performance standards to minimize the hazards from foodborne contaminants </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">(2) Establish science-based standards for raw agricultural commodities </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">(3) Inspect facilities at a frequency determined pursuant to a risk-based schedule </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">(4) Establish a food tracing system <em></em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">(6) Establish a program for accreditation of laboratories that perform analytical testing of food for import or export </span></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Authorizes FDA</strong> to:</span></p> <blockquote><p><span style="font-size:78%;">(1) Order an immediate cessation of distribution, or a recall, of food </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">(2) Establish an importer verification program </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">(3) Quarantine food in any geographic area within the United States </span></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Defines the term</strong> “color additive” to include carbon monoxide that may affect the color of fresh meat, poultry products, or seafood </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Requires</strong> country of origin labeling on food, and annual registration of importers </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Provides for</strong> unique identifiers for food facilities and food importers </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Deems a food</strong> to be adulterated if an inspection is delayed or refused</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Requires FDA</strong> to establish a corps of inspectors dedicated to inspections of foreign food facilities </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Reorganizes</strong> the FDA field laboratories and district offices </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Gives the FDA</strong> Commissioner subpoena authority <em></em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Establishes</strong> whistleblower protections <em></em></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>THE SENATE BILL, S. 510</strong>, is pretty much the same except that it addresses food bioterrorism<em></em>. In addition to most of what is in the House bill, it requires HHS and USDA to prepare the National Agriculture and Food Defense Strategy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>It also requires FDA</strong> to:</span></p> <blockquote><p><span style="font-size:78%;">(1) Identify preventive programs and practices to promote the safety and security of food </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">(2) Promulgate regulations on sanitary food transportation practices</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;">(3) Develop a policy to manage the risk of food allergy and anaphylaxis in schools and early childhood education programs </span></p></blockquote> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Requires FDA and CDC</strong> to enhance foodborne illness surveillance systems </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:78%;"><strong>Requires EPA</strong> to assist state, local, and tribal governments in preparing for, assessing, decontaminating, and recovering from an agriculture or food emergency</span></p><span style="font-size:100%;">***************************************************************</span><p><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It' hard to believe that many of these procedures <span style="font-weight: bold;">don't already exist,</span> such as:</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">- having a food tracing system</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">- standards to minimize hazards from foodborne contaminants</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">- an accreditation program for food laboratories</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">- the ability to quarantine contaminated products<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">- the ability for the FDA to make food recalls</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Also - is anyone else disturbed that carbon monoxide is being used as a "color additive"?!?!?</span> I just yesterday bought a carbon monoxide detector for our condo because I was under the impression that carbon monoxided could KILL. Silly me, maybe instead I should invite it into my home to season my food with it....</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">This information is a bit hard to swallow. If these are the interventions that are proposed for the future - what the heck are the FDA and USDA doing now and why aren't there more federal regulations?!?! What are your thoughts on this?</span></span></span></span></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnrV1w5qewI/AAAAAAAABD8/lFEXB9AcVGk/s1600-h/food+irradiation.GIF"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnrV1w5qewI/AAAAAAAABD8/lFEXB9AcVGk/s320/food+irradiation.GIF" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366837025601911554" border="0" /></a></p>Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-43136941633926379902009-08-05T22:53:00.001-07:002009-08-05T23:12:12.479-07:00There's a mouse/rat/gerbil/hamster in my condo!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnpwFi1ENsI/AAAAAAAABDs/Uacb4u76wCA/s1600-h/hamster.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 247px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnpwFi1ENsI/AAAAAAAABDs/Uacb4u76wCA/s320/hamster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366725146516403906" border="0" /></a>Ok, I need your help!! Tonight I went to bed SUPER early - before 10:00. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It. was. fahhhhhbulous.</span><br />*<br />However, ironically it's now 1am and I am wide awake. Why? Around 12:30am, Mike woke me up to say that <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">there was a mouse in our condo!!!! </span>I immediately thought that he was crazy/hallucinating/dreaming/drunk, since I recently woke up in the middle of the night claiming that there was a bug in my bed mid-dream. <br />*<br />But he was right!!! Luckily as he was telling me, said animal ran from the second bedroom into the hallway so I could see it. Then, it ran into the coat closet, then back into the hallway, <span style="font-weight: bold;">where I was able to shoo it into the building hallway</span> (not the one in my unit, but the communal hallway that connects to the rest of the condo units).<br />*<br />So that the little critter couldn't get back in - because it was tiny enough to effortlessly squeak under the door and get back in - <span style="font-weight: bold;">I blocked the crack under the door with two towels</span> like they taught us to do in grade school if there is smoke in your building, lol.<br />*<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now, my questions for you are:</span><br />1. What was this thing?!!??!?!<br /><br />2. It looked like the picture above.... it honestly looked less like a nasty rat than it looked like a cute little gerbil or hamster. In fact, mid-attack I commented to Mike, "awww it's so cute!!"<br /><br />3. Part of the reason I'm not sure if it was a mouse or a rat is becuase it had NO tail. Unless this guy lost it to the chef ("who chopped off their tales with a carving knife") in the nursing rhyme, I think that may means that it was instead a domesticated animal like a gerbil or hamster??? According to google, gerbils have tail too though, so that makes me think it could only have been a hamster. But if so it was a hamster baby, since it was pretty small.<br /><br />4. Also, I'm wondering, if it WAS a wild animal and not someone's escaped pet, is it possible for a mouse to climb to the 8th floor???? I feel like that's pretty high.... we RARELY even get bugs up here, I suspect partially from being up so high.<br /><br />5. What do i do about this?!?!?! If it was someone's escapee from their cage, I'm ok with this. It's still a bit gross that it was running around our place - who knows where it's little paws have been - but it's less offensive than if it was a wild animal straight from the dumpster from the sushi restaurant downstairs. <br />*<br />If it<span style="font-style: italic;"> is</span> a wild mouse or rat - <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">what do I do???? </span>We joked that we should get a dog to ward them off (something we have wanted to do anyway, but we would just bump up the schedule!)..... aside from that, and cleaning, <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">what should we do to make sure we don't have little mice babies? </span> I just read how over 5 months, mice can have 100s and 100s of grandchildren. Niiiiiiiiiice. <br />*<br />I want to figure out what this little guy was first so that <span style="font-weight: bold;">I know what my plan of attack should be. </span> Thanks for any tips! Now I'm wired and am going to go off and read my Google Reader ;) Good night!Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-68385350867070252872009-08-05T15:14:00.000-07:002009-08-05T17:18:25.136-07:00Weird eating day + Discount on Road IDHi friends!<br />*<br />This is my <span style="font-weight: bold;">first posting of the day</span> since I've been doing stuff around the condo, and also getting some stuff ready for the "debut" of <span style="font-weight: bold;">my new domain name</span> in (hopefully) a few days! I'm going to be using a different site than the one I have now because I'm just not very happy with what I have currently, yet <span style="font-style: italic;">I am not technologically savvy enough to figure out for myself how to make it look better </span>so I hired an expert ;)<br />*<br />Since yesterday I had such a negative experience - twice! - with <span style="font-weight: bold;">chia seeds</span>, I wanted to give them another shot. Because chi seeds are touted as<span style="font-style: italic;"> "the purest form of energy"</span> and that <span style="font-style: italic;">"the ancients ate them and then would run all day and night"</span>.... I wanted to try them before my workout. <br />*<br />Since <span style="font-weight: bold;">my blender is broken</span> :( I couldn't make them into a smoothie <span style="font-style: italic;">(which seems to be the most idiot-proof way to make them, by throwing them into a smoothie),</span> I simply ate a teaspoon of them. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJ0JvcaVI/AAAAAAAABDk/RmuuX4IAoP0/s1600-h/blog+august+032.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJ0JvcaVI/AAAAAAAABDk/RmuuX4IAoP0/s320/blog+august+032.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366612697538128210" border="0" /></a>Not the best pic, I know. Basically, the majority of the chi seeds went down just fine, even though they are a bit dry. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It tasted a bit "wheaty", but a tad sweet</span> - kind of good, actually. However, the moment my saliva (sorry if that's TMI) met the chia seeds, the gelatinous action became to happen! <span style="font-weight: bold;">It started to gel up and it was a bit hard to choke down the whole spoonful.</span> Hmmm.... I need to work on this... <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">I'm still open to suggestions!!! </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJzhRk1vI/AAAAAAAABDc/ZiqHuojZ1U8/s1600-h/blog+august+020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJzhRk1vI/AAAAAAAABDc/ZiqHuojZ1U8/s320/blog+august+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366612686675433202" border="0" /></a>The REAL breakfast (chia seeds aside) was a <span style="font-weight: bold;">delicious juice</span>. MMMMMMM I am getting pretty obsessed, if you haven't noticed! Today was the same - <span style="font-weight: bold;">celery, spinach, small piece grapefruit, and a 1/2 apple.</span> I'm officially out of apples so I'm going to go to the store tomorrow basically just to get them! I have some frozen grapes and frozen blueberries in the freezer that I thought about using to get some "sweetness" in, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">those are just too good to eat by themself</span> and I didn't want to waste them.<br />*<br />Today's workout was...... dum da da dum......SPINNING!! <span style="font-style: italic;">Are you shocked?</span> I'm hooked on this too ;) Today's workout was great - our instructor put together a "movie soundtrack playlist" which rocked. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nothing like some Top Gun tunes to get you movin!</span><br />*<br />After spinning, I did a bit of <span style="font-weight: bold;">strength training</span> since somehow I haven't done this in about 2 weeks. I think I've been spinning on the days when I used to strength train and somehow the strength training got pushed to the wayside, but really I should be doing both!<br />*<br />I was a tad embarrassed to find that I am <span style="font-weight: bold;">a bit out of shape in this area. </span> I started with the hip abductor/adductor machine, and could not do as many reps as I usually can. Grr... I shouldn't feel bad about this though, since I know I'm <span style="font-weight: bold;">gaining muscle in other areas</span> due to spinning and running. <br />*<br />I need to incorporate more strength training into my life <span style="font-weight: bold;">on a 1-3x a week basis,</span> but I a bit hesitant. I'm worried that if I get too sore and tight that this will effect my running.... so maybe I'll just go once or twice a week until the marathon. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">What do you runners recommend?<br />*<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span></span>After the gym, I headed to Target to pick up 2 things... TWO THINGS..... <span style="font-weight: bold;">you all know what happened. </span> I left with, well, slightly more than that ;) I hadn't planned to buy any fun stuff, but I did find <span style="font-style: italic;">these 3 tops for good prices. </span> The green is a cardigan type short-sleeved sweater with puffy sleaves, and the bluey top is to layer over the purple one. It had a fun, silky fabric that I couldnt' resist!<br />*<br />I ended up buying one top in an XS, one in a Small and the other in a Medium. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Do you end up doing this too? </span> I wanted the blue top in orange instead, but they only had a size smaller and I hate when things get shrunken in the wash (or due to changes in my weight!).... so I would rather err on the larger size! <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></span><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJzTSDVwI/AAAAAAAABDU/gpd7bY8wOMY/s1600-h/blog+august+034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJzTSDVwI/AAAAAAAABDU/gpd7bY8wOMY/s320/blog+august+034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366612682919335682" border="0" /></a>For lunch, I was starving and <span style="font-weight: bold;">I knew I wanted to use up my rutabagas and beets. </span> Sadly, the beets were already mushy and did not get used. What?!? Beets usually last for <span style="font-style: italic;">weeks,</span> like potatoes. Hm. May not be going to that grocery store again.<br />*<br />Anyhoo, I was too hungry to plan a creative meal so <span style="font-weight: bold;">I used my spiralizer on the rutabagas.</span> For whatever reason it worked well for a minute and then stopped, so I ended up just grating the rest of it. I also grated some of my <span style="font-weight: bold;">daikon</span>, which grates easier than the rutabaga which was a lot tougher.<br />*<br />I had some miso that I had just bought that I wanted to use, so I made <span style="font-weight: bold;">a dressing of sorts from the miso that was mostly EVOO, seasonings, a bit of maple syrup to sweeten, soy sauce, and some sesame oil. </span> I was trying to recreate a sauce I recently had on some noodles at a restaurant and I honestly think my version was even better! ;)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJy6ixOpI/AAAAAAAABDM/sZ5tFE_FP_4/s1600-h/blog+august+035.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJy6ixOpI/AAAAAAAABDM/sZ5tFE_FP_4/s320/blog+august+035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366612676278565522" border="0" /></a>I know, I know, it looks super Plain Jane but it was awesome!! The dressing was <span style="font-weight: bold;">fabulous and was very filling.</span><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJytHWuTI/AAAAAAAABDE/4M5L23hpHyQ/s1600-h/blog+august+023.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnoJytHWuTI/AAAAAAAABDE/4M5L23hpHyQ/s320/blog+august+023.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366612672673921330" border="0" /></a>For dessert, I had.... well..... MANY of these. I mean, I had <span style="font-weight: bold;">more than a servings's worth!! </span>But they hit the spot and I felt very satisfied after eating them. They also kept me completely stuffed for over 4 hours, which is a <span style="font-style: italic;">long time</span> for me!<br />*<br />The boring part about my day was that dinner was an <span style="font-weight: bold;">exact </span>replica of lunch!! I had another bowl of grated rutabaga/daikon salad with that yummy dressing, with coconut date balls for dessert. It's not that I don't have other food in the house... it was just <span style="font-weight: bold;">so good!!</span><br />*<br />It's possible I'll have something else light later on in the night (I'm thinkin maybe<span style="font-weight: bold;"> some carrot juice</span>), but probably nothing more than that and some more coconut date cookies ;)<br />*<br />I mentioned yesterday that Road ID has offered to give<span style="font-weight: bold;"> $1 off a Road ID purchase to the first 20 people that use this code. </span>The coupon code is: <span style="font-weight: bold;">ThanksValerie524444. </span> Their website is www.RoadID.com. I just ordered mine on Monday! They have shoe clips (which I got), wristbands, ankle bands, the works! When I go out for a run I usually don't have any identifying info with me, and I know that I should, so I see this as a good investment.<br />*<br />Hey guys, I need some advice! I have been <span style="font-weight: bold;">strongly considering joining a CSA.</span> I've always appreciated the importance of buying local, organic fare, but after seeing <span style="font-style: italic;">Food Inc.</span> I was really prompted to finally sign up. I found one that delivers to my neighborhood and seems to have <span style="font-weight: bold;">reasonable prices,</span> but the tricky part is how they deliver, since we don't have a doorman at all hours of the day and it may be hard to get the food if they deliver it while I am at work. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Do any of you belong to a CSA? If you do and you are in Chicago, which one? Any advice about this?</span><br />*<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gratitude Journal:</span><br />1. Great spinning class today<br />2. Discovered new veggies and how to prepare them - fun times with rutabagas and daikon!<br />3. I'm SO excited to get the new blog up soon!!!Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-70801079749244271562009-08-04T20:07:00.000-07:002009-08-04T20:39:51.180-07:00The ugly truth about The Ugly Truth<span style="font-weight: bold;">Movie Night!</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4vklJHyI/AAAAAAAABC8/3bJTkA3Aprs/s1600-h/The+Ugly+Truth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 96px; height: 142px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4vklJHyI/AAAAAAAABC8/3bJTkA3Aprs/s320/The+Ugly+Truth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366312452168949538" border="0" /></a>Tonight's appetizer was <span style="font-weight: bold;">a shot of Amazing Grass wheatgrass</span>, mixed with a tiny tsp. of chia seeds. Big mistake!!! The chia seeds instantly gelatinized and made the wheatgrass even more offensive tasting than usual.... it become like wheatgrass GLUE. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Not good!!!</span><br />*<br />I know there are tons of great things to do with chia seeds, but so far I've had two bombs today. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> Any advice or recipes that won't suck???</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4abVjEPI/AAAAAAAABC0/yaavn7GdcTk/s1600-h/blog+august+029.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4abVjEPI/AAAAAAAABC0/yaavn7GdcTk/s320/blog+august+029.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366312088910369010" border="0" /></a>Dinner was some <span style="font-weight: bold;">sunflower seed burgers topped with fresh tomato</span>, with a tomato side salad, and some <span style="font-weight: bold;">zucchini chips. </span> Sadly, my camera ate the picture of the plate, so all I have to show is the picture of the patties out of the oven. I love these "burgers" - which is great since I have about 25 of them frozen in my freezer for later use :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4ZiTSzVI/AAAAAAAABCk/SolyDwrDss4/s1600-h/blog+august+026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4ZiTSzVI/AAAAAAAABCk/SolyDwrDss4/s320/blog+august+026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366312073600093522" border="0" /></a>2 <span style="font-weight: bold;">frozen date coconut balls</span> for dessert....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4aKuVvSI/AAAAAAAABCs/dccI55G36s0/s1600-h/blog+august+025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4aKuVvSI/AAAAAAAABCs/dccI55G36s0/s320/blog+august+025.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366312084450950434" border="0" /></a>And for my movie snack, I was at first going to bring <span style="font-style: italic;">both</span> of these. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4ZEKhH5I/AAAAAAAABCc/1lafApOHyVg/s1600-h/blog+august+031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snj4ZEKhH5I/AAAAAAAABCc/1lafApOHyVg/s320/blog+august+031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366312065510219666" border="0" /></a>Then I realized<span style="font-weight: bold;"> the error of my ways</span> - they are both about 200 calories each and that would be silly to take in so many heavy calories of dates and dried fruit - so I decided on just the Larabar. I didn't care for this flavor much..... and would give it a B. Honestly, I am <span style="font-weight: bold;">obsessed with the cashew cookie flavor</span> but I think that might be the only one that I truly like!<br />*<br />I had been dying to see <span style="font-style: italic;">The Ugly Truth </span>for weeks (months?) ever since I first saw the preview for it a long time ago. I'm a big fan of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl</span>, so I figured it would be good. I had also heard great reviews from friends who had seen it. So, I thought it would be safe to take Mike, since I had heard that "even guys" liked it... bad decision!<br />*<br />It wasn't <span style="font-style: italic;">wretched</span>, but it sure wasn't good, either! <span style="font-weight: bold;"> It was pretty poor acting, a badly written script, and was beyond predictable. </span>Thank good for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Time Traveler's Wife</span> coming out next week.... hoping that one can make up for what <span style="font-style: italic;">The Ugly Truth </span>was lacking (humor, romance, substance....)<br />* <a href="rawepicurean.net"><br />I also wanted to thank Ingrid at The Raw Epicurean</a> - I won her <span style="font-weight: bold;">hibiscus giveaway</span>! This is my first time winning a giveaway so I'm very excited!!! :) Hopefully I can figure out what to do with hibiscus flowers in raw/vegan cooking ;)<br />*<br />Also, after I ordered myself a Road ID yesterday, Road ID offered to give <span style="font-weight: bold;">a $1 off discount to my readers that is valid for the first 20 people </span>that use this over the next 30 days. Hey, every bit helps! Tune in tomorrow when I announce the <span style="font-weight: bold;">discount code!</span><br />*<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gratitude Journal:</span><br />1. I triumphed through my 3 miler today! Doesn't sound like much, but at one point I was getting pretty hot and beat down until I reminded myself of the slogan that I had put on my Road ID: "Do what you think you can't" - and honestly, it gave me a HUGE surge of energy!!! Not only did I start running harder and faster but I even started planning on what to do after my run, such as go to sculping class (which I had previously been dreading).<br />2. Ok, so I didn't end up going to sculpting after all, but instead I walked to do my errands, so I was productive and got in some extra exercise, too!<br />3. Baked some yummy coconute date balls<br />4. Movie night with Mike.... yeah, the movie sucked, but it was so sweet of him to go to a movie with me that he knew that he wouldn't like!<br /><br />Goodnight! :)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-16718581063406304602009-08-04T11:31:00.000-07:002009-08-04T12:00:57.214-07:00Chia seed disaster<em>Why does it feel like Thursday already?!?!</em> It's not a work week for me so I can't figure that out. Since it's NOT a workweek for me, I'm happy that it's only Tuesday and I have<strong> the rest of this great week ahead of me! :)</strong><br />*<br />I had planned to get up at 6am for my run before the heat and humidity became unbearable.... buuuut naturally I snoozed a few times and I didn't end up out the door until about 7:15. I had a good 3 miler - it was really humid, <strong>but I had a great attitude today and that seemed to help a lot!</strong><br />*<br />Breakfast was a juice <em>with a slightly different twist</em> on yesterday's creation. I'm getting low on apples and lemons, so to stretch my fruit, I used a grapefruit instead of a lemon - about 1/2. So it ended up being:<br />- 4 stalks celery<br />- 2 handfulls spinach<br />- 1/2 grapefruit<br />- 1/2 apple<br />I usually use a whole apple, so I was cutting back in this area as well. Basically it was very, very grapefruity, <strong>which I wasn't a fan of.</strong> But it was still very fresh-tasting!<br />*<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SniAQZNzfuI/AAAAAAAABCU/gOfYRzvp9xg/s1600-h/blog+august+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366179975146995426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SniAQZNzfuI/AAAAAAAABCU/gOfYRzvp9xg/s320/blog+august+020.jpg" border="0" /></a> After this liquid breakfast, I had the itch to cook so I made up <strong>a batch of zucchini chips</strong> - no pic but I'll show that later when I eat them for dinner!<br />*<br />I had some errands to run, so of course I decided to do them on foot. <strong>I love walking to do my errands... and why wouldn't I when I get these benefits:</strong><br />- Better for the environment<br />- Save gas money and wear and tear (on my car), or save $5.00 if I take the bus<br />- Get some exercise<br />- Get my daily dose of Vitamin D<br />- Great time to catch up on phone calls - and it's safer than talking on the phone while driving!<br />- I just love, love, love being able to walk through the city of Chicago. I feel so lucky to live just a mile away from the center of its downtown! It's so much fun to walk through the beautiful architecture and to people watch!<br />*<br />I dropped off Mike's drycleaning (found out we have a place just a block away from us, score), returned some books to the library, and then did some birthday shopping for the upcoming August birthdays. <br />*<br />It was probably about <strong>40 minutes of walking</strong>.... however, after walking about 1/3 of the way home, my right heel was giving me a tiny bit of pain - nothing crazy, but it got me worried, so I took the bus home from there. I'm sure I would have been fine walking home, but if taking the bus spared me months of plantar fasciitis pain, it's worth it!<br />*<br />Once I got back, I wanted to do something with<strong> the chia seeds </strong>that I had let sit overnight. Yesterday I soaked 1/4 c. chia seeds in 1/2 c. water, and it looked like this:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snh_olvhwfI/AAAAAAAABCM/6UyxZugpUxY/s1600-h/blog+august+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366179291314897394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snh_olvhwfI/AAAAAAAABCM/6UyxZugpUxY/s320/blog+august+018.jpg" border="0" /></a>It was amazing how the minute I added the chia seeds to the water, <em>they puffed up and became much larger than their original size</em> (TWSS). <br />*<br />I read that chia seeds <strong>increase their nutritional value if soaked in water overnight</strong>, which is what I did. However, this morning they had become soooo gelatinous that it was kinda gross and gooey. I threw them into my miniFP with 2 chopped tomatoes, some nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and garlic. <br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366179282334271634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snh_oESYSJI/AAAAAAAABCE/DWl3f2JdDxA/s320/blog+august+021.jpg" border="0" /><br />Ummmm.... not a fan. I think this flavor would have been good, but I should not have let this soak so long!!! I think next time I will just let them soak a few minutes, and then it would blend better.<br />*<br />Since <strong>the chia cheesy sauce bombed</strong> (which was meant to be a dip for my carrots), I made some guac instead, which was definitely an acceptable substitute ;) I used:<br />- 2 avocados<br />- 2 tomatoes<br />- tons of cilantro<br />- lime juice<br />-garlic, S & P<br />- 2 carrots for dipping<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366179274143038850" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snh_nlxb_YI/AAAAAAAABB8/Csa8nfCwHtw/s320/blog+august+022.jpg" border="0" />I felt slightly <strong>Miss Piggy for having 2 avocados worth of guac for lunch</strong>, but it was good, so who gives!<br />*<br />Remember those <strong>lime coconut cookies</strong> I attempted to make yesterday? I didn't care for them much, but I didn't want them to go to waste, so I morphed them into <strong>coconut date balls.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snh_nOVtxtI/AAAAAAAABB0/VingK9lF2s8/s1600-h/blog+august+023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366179267852748498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snh_nOVtxtI/AAAAAAAABB0/VingK9lF2s8/s320/blog+august+023.jpg" border="0" /></a> MUCH better!!!<br /><div><div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snh_ml5llKI/AAAAAAAABBs/JgCMmGlE-QE/s1600-h/blog+august+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366179256997352610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Snh_ml5llKI/AAAAAAAABBs/JgCMmGlE-QE/s320/blog+august+024.jpg" border="0" /></a> Now I'm going to go relax for a bit on the patio and read <em>The Time Traveler's Wife</em>.... it's my favorite book, I re-read it every single summer, and I am trying to finish this summer's read before the movie comes out soon! So excited!!</div><div>*</div><div><strong><em>I don't want to give up on my chia seeds - do you have any suggestions for chia seeds that I will enjoy?</em></strong></div><div><strong><em>****************************************</em></strong></div><div><strong><em>Also, I am having a FANTASTIC giveaway sometime in the next 1-2 weeks... as soon as I get my new blog website up and running. So be sure to check back regularly! ;)</em></strong></div></div></div>Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-54495709164992666672009-08-03T17:39:00.000-07:002009-08-03T18:35:36.657-07:00Root vegetables galore!<span style="font-weight: bold;">Happy Monday everyone! </span>It's so hard to believe it is already the third day into August... <span style="font-style: italic;">where did summer go?!?!?</span><br />*<br />I woke up <span style="font-weight: bold;">craving a green juice,</span> and it delivered! I am officially obsessed with starting my morning with juice, and my only concern is that once I start work in a month it will be too time consuming (and not filling enough) for breakfast early in the morning..... juice is best drank (drunk? dranken?) within 20 minutes of juicing, so juicing the night before isn't an option.<br />*<br />I could get up early to juice which is fine, but I still don't know what to have alongside the juice.... it keeps me full for quite a while during my summer days off, but once I'm back at work I don't want to be <span style="font-weight: bold;">messing around with a rumbling stomach</span> which I am chasing around after wild kids!<br />*<br />This was made from:<br />- 4 stalks celery<br />- 2 handfuls spinach<br />- 1/2 lemon<br />- 1 apple<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneEOvOieWI/AAAAAAAABBc/MiVVcIBqi7E/s1600-h/blog+august+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneEOvOieWI/AAAAAAAABBc/MiVVcIBqi7E/s320/blog+august+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365902869765716322" border="0" /></a>I left for the gym feeling completely energized! Today was <span style="font-weight: bold;">spinning</span>, and while there was only 2 of us in the class plus the instructor, <span style="font-weight: bold;">she did a great job and kept the energy level high.</span> It was an awesome class!<br />*<br />I have to wonder if my recent obsession with spinning has made a difference in my endurance during long runs. I've been lucky enough to have <span style="font-style: italic;">fabulous long runs recently</span>, and since the addition of weekly or twice weekly spinning is the only big change in my exercise regime, I am curious if that is making a difference. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Have any of you found this type of benefit with increasing the frequency of spinning classes you att</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">end? </span> I also stuck around and did another 15 minutes on the reclining bike while catching up on yesterday's newspaper reading :)<br />*<br />After getting home from the gym, I spent far too much time on the phone with a customer service rep from Cuisinart about my <span style="font-weight: bold;">busted blender.</span> Apparently, the first step is to send me a replacement blade (which I have a feeling is not the problem), which takes 1-2 weeks, and then the final step is for me to send mine in to get repaired which takes at least 4-6 weeks!!!!<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>*<br />So this means I may not have a blender for over 2 months!??!?! I use my blender for EVERYTHING, from smoothies, to soups, to sauces, to desserts. I'm pretty bummed about this :(<br />*<br />Then I had ANOTHER juice.... the same, plus about an inch of fresh ginger. <span style="font-style: italic;">Love it!!!</span><br />*<br />I also spent a great deal of time dealing with my broken laptop and the prospect of having to replace it. I'm mostly upset about all of the documents I am going to lose if we dont pay to get it fixed.... <span style="font-weight: bold;">most importantly, my recipe file!!! </span>I had painstakingly saved tons and tons of delicious-looking raw and vegan recipes which are now <span style="font-weight: bold;">lost forevahhhh.</span> Oh, well.....<br />*<br />I recovered from the loss of my beloved recipes by making <span style="font-weight: bold;">yucca fries!! </span>I only had one yucca root to use since the other one had gone moldy already.... oddly enough, a ton of the produce (tomatoes, apples, and yuca root) that I had bought just 3 days ago had already gone bad! They were super cheap, but I guess cheap isn't always better if the produce doesn't last.<br />*<br />I had no idea what I was doing, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">I just peeled the yuca then sliced is into thin round.</span> It was a challenge to cut since it is very hard and dense, like a sweet potato. I sprinkled the rounds with walnut oil (you can read more about the amazing health benefits of walnut oil, such as being a souce of natural melatonin and tryptophan, at at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/actorsdiet.blogspot.com">The Actor's Diet</a>), <span style="font-style: italic;">salt, garlic powder, cumin, and paprika. </span>I baked them for about 18 minutes or so.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneKUmsj9FI/AAAAAAAABBk/BLvCMuZQzyY/s1600-h/blog+august+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneKUmsj9FI/AAAAAAAABBk/BLvCMuZQzyY/s320/blog+august+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365909567624705106" border="0" /></a><br />These were fabulous! They are very similar to a regular potato but tasted a bit more sweet and starchy. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yucca root has a great deal of health benefits, such as:</span><br />- High in vitamin C, B, A<br />- Calcium<br />- Phosphorus<br />- Potassium<br />- Iron<br />*<br />Yet again, boredom prompted me to..... what else.... BAKE!!!! This time I threw together a mixture of <span style="font-weight: bold;">chopped macadamia nuts, unsweetened coconut, vanilla, salt, agave, and lime juice. </span> I ended up freezing these... for some reason they didn't thrill me. I think I need to mess with the recipe a bit - it was somehow too cloyingly sweet, yet not sweet enough at the same time.... I think the addition of dates would help tremendously!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneEOIAM9bI/AAAAAAAABBU/4Zrqh1dFODQ/s1600-h/blog+august+013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneEOIAM9bI/AAAAAAAABBU/4Zrqh1dFODQ/s320/blog+august+013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365902859236603314" border="0" /></a>I made Mike some<span style="font-weight: bold;"> shrimp diablo</span> for dinner (unpictured), which was comprised of whole wheat pasta with a very spicy, tomatoey sauce with shrimp and salmon. He raved about this dish and said it was the best meal he had had in a while.... but I didn't try it so I can't say what it tastes like. It's weird to not taste test the food while cooking it...<br />*<br />My dinner was a bit thrown together, too! I steamed some <span style="font-weight: bold;">green beans and peas</span> from Mike's geat-aunt's garden. I was anxious to eat these suckers so I probably didn't steam them long enough..... so I threw them in the microwave for just a bit with <span style="font-weight: bold;">some nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic to make a "cheesy" sauce. </span> Yum!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneEN5d1QtI/AAAAAAAABBM/pgcr5qIWQoQ/s1600-h/blog+august+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneEN5d1QtI/AAAAAAAABBM/pgcr5qIWQoQ/s320/blog+august+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365902855334347474" border="0" /></a>Dessert was a <span style="font-weight: bold;">leftover cold sweet potato mashed up with some almond milk, Truvia, and tons of cinnamon. </span> I feel bad since neither this, nor the green beans, made for very attractive pictures, sorry :) - but trust me, it tasted GREAT!! It reminded me of a <span style="font-style: italic;">chilled slice of pumpkin pie!!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneENa-BSkI/AAAAAAAABBE/bNUOfIWxivc/s1600-h/blog+august+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SneENa-BSkI/AAAAAAAABBE/bNUOfIWxivc/s320/blog+august+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365902847147854402" border="0" /></a>Dessert #2 was one of the coconut lime cookies, which again I didn't really care for. Hopefully Mike will eat them, haha. I'm going to go clean the kitchen and then get to bed soon so I can get up early tomorrow and hopefully <span style="font-weight: bold;">beat the heat</span> for my run!<br />*<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gratitude Journal:</span><br />1. I am obsessed with Cornelius my handsome juicer! I could drink green juice all day long....<br />2. My father-in-law generously offered to try to fix my computer..... I wish him luck! :)<br />3. I finished the book I was reading today and got to read outside on the balcony which was lovely<br />4. It makes me happy to cook a meal for Mike that he loves!<br />*<br />Seriously, even the little things count........ ESPECIALLY on a Monday I find that it really helps to make a conscious effort of those things that you appreciate. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">What are you grateful for on this Monday night?</span>Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-73331594064427487992009-08-03T12:09:00.000-07:002009-08-03T10:11:11.392-07:00* MaRaThOn MoNdAy * : Cool new gadgets<div>Here are some cool (and some kinda weird) <strong>new running gadgets</strong> that I wanted to share with you guys!<br /><br /><div>This is the <em>Nike Run Wallet</em>, which retails for $8.00 (<a href="http://www.nike.com/">http://www.nike.com/</a>)</div><br /><br /><div>This is only big enough to hold keys and a bit of cash - it's not large enough for a cell phone - but due to its small size that means that <strong>it is also very light</strong>. It clips onto your shoelaces.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361277457140147538" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmcVcScl5VI/AAAAAAAAAuU/GWvFSSbKBpQ/s320/March+09+130.jpg" border="0" />Here is the <em>SPIbelt</em>, which you can find for $20.00-$30.00 ( <a href="http://www.store.spibelt.com/">http://www.store.spibelt.com/</a>)</div><br /><br /><div>I like this idea - it is big enough to hold a cell phone and keys at the same time, but looks very light and I would imagine <strong>it is not cumbersome while you run</strong>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmcVb4PIceI/AAAAAAAAAuM/cAtzC8nF8nc/s1600-h/March+09+131.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361277450104369634" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmcVb4PIceI/AAAAAAAAAuM/cAtzC8nF8nc/s320/March+09+131.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is the<em> iStik</em>, which is $25.00 at <a href="http://www.goistik.com/">http://www.goistik.com/</a></div><br /><br /><div>This looks pretty cool - you don't need a pocket or seam to fasten on your Nano<strong> (it works with all 3 generations of the iPod Nano)</strong> - you just use the strong magnets in the iStik to place it anywhere on your clothing<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmcVAwifzYI/AAAAAAAAAuE/YGCVXnNPhNg/s1600-h/March+09+132.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361276984181640578" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmcVAwifzYI/AAAAAAAAAuE/YGCVXnNPhNg/s320/March+09+132.jpg" border="0" /></a> Here is the <em>Moji Ice Pack</em>, which is $85 at <a href="http://www.gomoji.com/">http://www.gomoji.com/</a></div><br /><br /><div>That's a bit pricey for my liking, but let's be honest icing is NO fun and this gadget would make the process a bit easier and, well, less cold and drippy and messy!</div><br /><br /><div>This features a flexible, strong wrap with a "cold cell" that velcrows onto the wrap. The best part is that <strong>you have complete mobility while wearing this!<br /></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmcVAtw7o4I/AAAAAAAAAt8/OcRsuI1_RD4/s1600-h/March+09+134.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361276983436878722" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmcVAtw7o4I/AAAAAAAAAt8/OcRsuI1_RD4/s320/March+09+134.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is the <em>Sportline Hydracoach</em>, for $30 at <a href="http://www.sportline.com/">http://www.sportline.com/</a></div><br /><br /><div>This is a bit frivolous in my opinion, but I still think all gadgets are kinda cool :)</div><br /><br /><div>You program your weight and it tells you how much water you need over the course of the day and calculates, based on how often you fill the bottle, <strong>whether or not you meet your hydration goal for the day.<br /></strong></div><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmcUj6dndYI/AAAAAAAAAt0/6Hu1-txNxbc/s1600-h/March+09+133.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361276488629319042" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SmcUj6dndYI/AAAAAAAAAt0/6Hu1-txNxbc/s320/March+09+133.jpg" border="0" /></a> Last but not least, this is the <em>T3 Athletic Recovery Mattress</em>, or <em>"Ironman Bed",</em> found at <a href="http://www.t3recovery.com/">www.t3recovery.com</a></div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>They don't have a price listed for this yet, but <strong>it will be released to the market soon</strong> and supposedly this bed conforms to the shape of your body, relieves pressure points, aligns the spine, regulates body temp while you sleep making you warm when you are cool and cool when your body is warm, and it is <em>"clinically proven to relieve pain, improve sleep quality, heighten athletic performane, and increase oxygen levels in the body up to 29%."</em> Wow, that is definitely an interesting concept....... I wonder how popular these guys will be ;)<strong><em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363126957110731746" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; width: 320px; height: 240px; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/Sm2njWvoI-I/AAAAAAAAA2c/zN8nNjaXdSs/s320/March+09+138.jpg" border="0" />There are some cool gadgets out there, some necessary and some just extravagances. What are your favorite running/workout gadgets?</em></strong><br /></div><div></div></div></div></div>Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-44947562940616694382009-08-02T19:05:00.000-07:002009-08-02T19:53:59.696-07:00New food safety bill?I know pretty much all of the food bloggers have a<span style="font-weight: bold;">lready reviewed and gave their 2 cents about Food Inc.</span>, which is why I didn't go into a lot of depth after I saw it a few weeks ago.<br /><br />For those of you who have seen the film, Food Inc. talks about where the food we buy from the grocery store actually comes from,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> what effect it has on our health, animals, and the environment, and what it will mean for future generations. </span>It also heavily explores how the FDA and USDA, time and time again, <span style="font-style: italic;">continue to put profit ahead of consumer safety. </span><br /><br />Interestingly enough, I recently read an article about how the US House passed a food safety bill (HR 2749) which is an amendment to a prior Federal Food, Safety, and Cosmetic Act. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Public health experts speculate that this may be the most drastic step in food safety policy in 50 years!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What this may mean if the bill is signed into law:</span><br />- our entire food safety system will be change immensely<br />- more government inspections and oversight of food manufacturers<br />- better monitoring of imported foods<br />- the FDA will have a greater ability to recall contaminated foods.... astonishly (and frighteningly), currently even Class 1 (potentially fatal) recalls are voluntary and the FDA has no authority to force food producers to recall their contaminated items<br />- for the first time, this bill would let the FDA impose civil and criminal penalties and to implement mandatory food quarantines<br /><br />While those are obviously positive steps, there are some downfalls to this bill. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It's very possible that lobbyists for the livestock, poultry, and egg industries will work to ensure that they are exempt from the bill's provisions.</span><br /><br />I like this quote from Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), one of the co-sponsors of the bill: <span style="font-style: italic;">"5,000 people die each year from contaminated food. We went to war with Iraq when 3,000 Americans showed up for work and were killed in a terrorist attack."</span><br /><br />I urge you all to continue this debate and to raise awareness whenever and wherever possible, until this bill is turned into a law!<br />******************************************<br />On another note, I wanted to link back to a very insightful posting by the wonderful <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gena over at choosingraw.com. </span> You can find this particular posting <a href="Rep.%20Rosa%20DeLauro%20%28D-CT-3%29,%20one%20of%20the%20co-sponsors%20of%20the%20Bill%20and%20a%20longtime%20champion%20of%20food%20safety,%20countered%20this%20with%20an%20equally%20dramatic%20statement:%20%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9C5,000%20people%20die%20each%20year%20from%20contaminated%20food.%20We%20went%20to%20war%20with%20Iraq%20when%203,000%20Americans%20showed%20up%20for%20work%20and%20were%20killed%20in%20a%20terrorist%20attack%21%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D">here</a>. As a raw foods counselor in NYC, Gena eloquently speaks about<span style="font-style: italic;"> the negative pressure and attention from friends and family</span> that vegetarians, vegans, raw foodists, or anyone trying out a food lifestyle that diverges from the Standard American Diet often face.<br /><br />Here is a snippet:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >"When I became a vegan, I was shocked at the level of discomfort that my lifestyle seemed to provoke in other people. I was expecting curiosity, ignorance, and perhaps some teasing. But I was astounded to find that not eating animal products could provoke so much hostility.<br /><br />I shouldn't have been. It was all a repetition of the antogism I encountered when I started to cut back on drinking in my early twenties....Certain "friends" seemed personally offended that I wasn't interested in drinking or getting drunk anymore - so much that my sobriety became a marked source of tension between us.... This was never a problem with friends who had a healthy relationship with alcohol and still isn't; they didn't care that I wasn't drinking, and why should they have? They drank moderately and happily and for the right reasons, so they had no reason to be discomfited by someone who had a different type of relationship with the sauce. But here were a few friends and acquaintances who seemed disproportionately put off, and it goes without saying that they were the ones who seemed to drink too much, or for too long, or too often, or perhaps out of social pressure.<br /><br />This is not a complicated or revelatory psychological lesson: peer pressure and teasing (not to mention bigotry and hate) are nearly always the by-products of insecurity."</span><br /><br />I encourage you all to read this, and other postings by Gena! I've learned a great deal from her - and <span style="font-weight: bold;">couldn't live without her carrot-avocado bisque</span> ;)<br /><br />Todays <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gratitude Journal </span>- that I almost forgot to do, yet again!:<br />1. I got to spend time with my parents and all 3 grandparents this weekend<br />2. I caught up on my reading - I'm almost finished reading a fascinating book about childhood trauma and how to work with these children from a therapist's point of view<br />3. I'm proud of myself for ordering my fabulously tasty vegan salad at the restaurant today and had no shame in doing so! It was awesome and I'm glad I didn't order something I didn't want, "just cuz"<br />4. It sucks that my computer is shot, but the prospect of getting a new computer is kind of exciting!Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-31591958045399395172009-08-02T17:20:00.000-07:002009-08-02T18:09:49.299-07:00The House of BluesI should really call it the <span style="font-weight: bold;">House of Broken Appliances</span>, but House of Blues is appropriate too because I am NOT excited about all of the things that have been going wrong around here recently nor am I excited about the costs to repair:<br />*<br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold;">My computer..... it has a MAYjuh virus </span>and to fix it will be $200. SO, instead I bought an SD converter so that I can use Mike's old laptop in the meantime and can still tranfer pix. However, his is on the fritz as well and it's a pain to lose all of my itunes and documents<br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">My blender broke today!!!</span> It, too, has been dying a slow and painful death over the past few weeks, and today was the last straw. While making Mike a Green Monster, my poor 9 month old Cuisinart made crazy growling noises and leaked green juice all over the counter and kitchen. This was a wedding gift so I'm hoping they will volunteer to fix it or send a new one despite the fact that I don't have the receipt!<br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The lock on my driver's side door</span> is stuck in the down position. Not a big deal, except that I have to crawl through the passenger's side door in order to use it, which I've been doing for a while now but I have finally realized that I need to bite the bullet and get it fixed for safety reasons.<br />* On top of the above busted appliances, after trying on my work dress pants the other day I realized that my legs have apparently morphed in size and due to weight gain or muscle mass I don't know, <span style="font-style: italic;">but they no longer fit. </span> So, I will be making some trips to Express and The Limited before going back to work next month! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shopping = fun. Shopping because you don't fit into your old clothes = not so fun...</span><br />* I also spilled breadcrumbs all over the kitchen counter and floor when the lid popped off on me - that was a good time....<br />* As was going to my car to find a note from my parking garage "neighbor" about how I need to park properly. Grrr. I would park properly if the lady on the other side would park properly.... ok ok, maybe it's my fault and I just don't like feeling guilty about it.<br />*<br />All in all, with other purchases we will be making it's going to be an expensive month. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I would love to know if you guys have any recommendations for what type of computer and blender we should get! </span> I noticed that Best Buy has a combo blender/FP by Cuisinart - I can't decide if this is really awesome and convenient, or if it is a bad idea, much like the dreaded shampoo/conditioner combo that men seem to revere so much. Let me know if you have any suggestions!<br />*<br />Breakfast at my parents' house this morning was just a<span style="font-weight: bold;"> cantaloupe</span> since we were planning to eat an early lunch. It was delicious though! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYwLacu_jI/AAAAAAAABA8/CxH_QkZi0QI/s1600-h/blog+august+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYwLacu_jI/AAAAAAAABA8/CxH_QkZi0QI/s320/blog+august+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365528978695061042" border="0" /></a>After going to visit my grandparents who recently moved to an independent living facility, we (them, my mom, my maternal grandmother, Mike and I) went to Papa Vino's for lunch, which is one of their favorite places. I probably had <span style="font-weight: bold;">WAY too much bread and oil here </span>- I loved how the served the oil with herbs and toasted garlic. I had this piece of bread times about 6!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYwLI--HSI/AAAAAAAABA0/5T7NtZzOzsA/s1600-h/blog+august+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYwLI--HSI/AAAAAAAABA0/5T7NtZzOzsA/s320/blog+august+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365528974006820130" border="0" /></a>I was craving a huge salad, and in my head I wanted an antipasto-type salad with lots of olives, etc. Nothing on the menu was vegetarian or vegan, so<span style="font-style: italic;"> I ordered the steak salad without the steak, without the cheese, and without the pasta,</span> haha. Waitresses must love me, I know ;)<br />*<br />I basically ordered the salad <span style="font-weight: bold;">with tons of veggies, extra olives and capers, the addition of tomatoes, and the roasted red pepper dressing. </span>The end results came with no olives, but it was still very, very good!!! I loved the red pepper dressing and I am going to experiment with making my own sometime soon!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYwKpeCTEI/AAAAAAAABAs/IFf3vLGy0cM/s1600-h/blog+august+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYwKpeCTEI/AAAAAAAABAs/IFf3vLGy0cM/s320/blog+august+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365528965547183170" border="0" /></a>I don't think you can tell from the picture, but it was definitely of the Hugh Jass variety ;)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYwKUT9JeI/AAAAAAAABAk/5cW8mFg6zow/s1600-h/blog+august+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYwKUT9JeI/AAAAAAAABAk/5cW8mFg6zow/s320/blog+august+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365528959867758050" border="0" /></a>Back at the grandparents' new crib playing with Molly.....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYurCfv2GI/AAAAAAAABAc/dY2BN7HdOwk/s1600-h/blog+august+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYurCfv2GI/AAAAAAAABAc/dY2BN7HdOwk/s320/blog+august+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365527322997807202" border="0" /></a>Who likes to wear newspaper clothing it seems<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYuqtRe44I/AAAAAAAABAU/AnNVTDhS_Fk/s1600-h/blog+august+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYuqtRe44I/AAAAAAAABAU/AnNVTDhS_Fk/s320/blog+august+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365527317300831106" border="0" /></a>On the train ride home to Chicago, I snacked on some "plumcots" my sister had given me from the farmer's market. I could have sworn that they were referred to as "pluots", but maybe I'm thinking of something different? They were <span style="font-weight: bold;">a cross between a plum and a nectarine</span>, and they tasted as such! They were very good, sweet, and juicy, with tiny pits.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYuqU16FVI/AAAAAAAABAM/eZLdGWrqmzI/s1600-h/blog+august+005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYuqU16FVI/AAAAAAAABAM/eZLdGWrqmzI/s320/blog+august+005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365527310742721874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blueberz</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYup39jOFI/AAAAAAAABAE/Z_OAnB_2U8I/s1600-h/blog+august+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYup39jOFI/AAAAAAAABAE/Z_OAnB_2U8I/s320/blog+august+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365527302990149714" border="0" /></a>And a Larabar... I do NOT know how I was still hungry after such an enormous lunch!!! I actually ended up not being a fan of this flavor at all. It was very, very tart and I just didn't care for it. But that's ok because there are<span style="font-weight: bold;"> sooo many other fabulous Larabars </span>to enjoy instead :)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYupft1UqI/AAAAAAAAA_8/ydMnshMHbMA/s1600-h/blog+august+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnYupft1UqI/AAAAAAAAA_8/ydMnshMHbMA/s320/blog+august+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365527296481776290" border="0" /></a>I've spent the evening at Best Buy and now I'm about to go finish my leftover salad which I'm pretty much drooling over just thinking about it! Hope it's good leftover!<br />*<br />I'm gonna go post this and then go write another brief one about <span style="font-weight: bold;">a couple topics that I think are interesting and important</span> - so please check back soon so that you don't miss any of the excitement! ;)Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098437174186225639.post-33995894701579993252009-08-01T21:10:00.000-07:002009-08-01T21:56:10.429-07:00Indian food and a quest for chia seeds<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Here is Mike with<span style="font-weight: bold;"> his very first juice!</span> I made today's with <span style="font-weight: bold;">celery, spinach, 1 lemon, and 2 apples</span> - I wanted to make it a bit sweeter so that he wouldn't be scared off. I think he liked it... well, kinda :)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUS0TAuWuI/AAAAAAAAA_0/JpdibIiPFJw/s1600-h/Picture+016.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUS0TAuWuI/AAAAAAAAA_0/JpdibIiPFJw/s320/Picture+016.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365215220747623138" border="0" /></a>Mine. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It was a gorgeous Saturday morning on our balcony!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUS0NaXDTI/AAAAAAAAA_s/Mcqu3MIrF7w/s1600-h/Picture+017.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUS0NaXDTI/AAAAAAAAA_s/Mcqu3MIrF7w/s320/Picture+017.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365215219244535090" border="0" /></a>We were going to spend the day helping my in-laws finish up the garage sale, but they ended up getting rained on :( so we bypassed the trip to the burbs and instead headed straight to my parents' house in Indiana. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Waiting for the train, I starvingly gobbled down an avocado delight....</span> I was so hungry after the long run this morning!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSobW001I/AAAAAAAAA_g/ROA_asIX0vg/s1600-h/Picture+019.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSobW001I/AAAAAAAAA_g/ROA_asIX0vg/s320/Picture+019.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365215016829375314" border="0" /></a>Mike and I caught up on some reading on the train, and then once we arrived in IN I was still famished so I made up a <span style="font-weight: bold;">quickie salad of tomato, red pepper, cilantro, lime juice and flax seed oil, salt and pepper, and tons of olives</span> cut up. Yum!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSoNAhVWI/AAAAAAAAA_U/uRuak4-XjFg/s1600-h/Picture+020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSoNAhVWI/AAAAAAAAA_U/uRuak4-XjFg/s320/Picture+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365215012977726818" border="0" /></a>Dessert was some raspberries and blueberries but apparently my camera ate the photo....<br />*<br />Ever since we made plans last night for this, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I have been soooo excited for this dinner.... Indian food!!! </span> This was Mike's first time getting Indian food... I think he was a bit hesitant since he "hates curry", but he seemed to be pleasantly surprised!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSncxG0zI/AAAAAAAAA_E/FlATRnAFLS4/s1600-h/Picture+001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSncxG0zI/AAAAAAAAA_E/FlATRnAFLS4/s320/Picture+001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365215000028173106" border="0" /></a>When you walk in the door, there is a cute little guest book alongside a bowl of these candies, <span style="font-weight: bold;">made from coriander seeds and a licorice candy.</span> I know some people are skeeved out by the communal bowl idea, but I thought it was an original idea!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSnFgW-ZI/AAAAAAAAA-8/vrAlXMw4UCU/s1600-h/Picture+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSnFgW-ZI/AAAAAAAAA-8/vrAlXMw4UCU/s320/Picture+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214993783912850" border="0" /></a>When we arrived at our table we were presented with a few bowls of this bread. I didn't catch the name, but the waitress said this was a <span style="font-weight: bold;">lentil bread with coriander.</span> It looks like plain, dried up, flavorless bread but it had a ton of flavor and melted in your mouth!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSZ42cnYI/AAAAAAAAA-0/n77hf9K59a8/s1600-h/Picture+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSZ42cnYI/AAAAAAAAA-0/n77hf9K59a8/s320/Picture+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214767048596866" border="0" /></a>I went with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vegetable Biryanis,</span> after my mom recommended it based on her past visits to the restaurant.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSZqK0sRI/AAAAAAAAA-s/1DluttOYxVI/s1600-h/Picture+004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSZqK0sRI/AAAAAAAAA-s/1DluttOYxVI/s320/Picture+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214763107528978" border="0" /></a>We got the vegetarian appetizer platter - the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> samosas</span> were good but spicy, and I especially loved the <span style="font-weight: bold;">pakora</span>, which was veggies fried in a chickpea batter. <span style="font-style: italic;">It reminded me of the fried vegetables that my family used to get at the Porter County Fair</span> every summer during my childhood - but this actually tasted good and didn't make you feel nauseous afterward!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSZHypOiI/AAAAAAAAA-k/XEkPjWkWv-U/s1600-h/Picture+006.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSZHypOiI/AAAAAAAAA-k/XEkPjWkWv-U/s320/Picture+006.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214753879308834" border="0" /></a>My meal was absolutely amazing! It was basically just <span style="font-weight: bold;">basmati rice with tons of veggies </span>(peas, red peppers, greens, etc.), raisins, and tons of great spices. I love the cinnamon in Indian food! Isn't is gorgeous?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSY_SRirI/AAAAAAAAA-c/gHYUmI9SLKQ/s1600-h/Picture+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSY_SRirI/AAAAAAAAA-c/gHYUmI9SLKQ/s320/Picture+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214751596055218" border="0" /></a>I was so full that I didn't partake in any of the desserts, but my sister and her friend got "The Trilogy". Apparently it was <span style="font-weight: bold;">a mango custard, some type of fried dumpling in a honey sauce, and rice pudding. </span> Everyone gave it the thumbs-up!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSYTMGDCI/AAAAAAAAA-U/dq8Ve4upoJk/s1600-h/Picture+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSYTMGDCI/AAAAAAAAA-U/dq8Ve4upoJk/s320/Picture+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214739758976034" border="0" /></a>Earlier tonight my mom and I went to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Human Race Running Store</span> because I wanted to see if they had the Clif Shots that I was looking for. Many runners have told me that they love the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Clif Shot chocolate and espresso flavors</span>, which I can't find at my neighborhood store. I ended up getting one Clif Shot chocolate (the only one they had left), and because they were out of the Clif Shot espresso, I stocked up on the Gu espresso, some Gu mint chocolate, and a few other flavors. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Have you guys tried any of these??? </span>I like the shorter ingredient list better for the Clif Shots, but I am still excited to give these a try!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSEigVfdI/AAAAAAAAA-M/MU1CT8C_ZSI/s1600-h/Picture+009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSEigVfdI/AAAAAAAAA-M/MU1CT8C_ZSI/s320/Picture+009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214400273022418" border="0" /></a>When I bought a case of the Gu's, not only did a save a bit of money per Gu but I also got this hat for free - awesome! I actually love it besides for the fact that it was free - it says "Run Happy" and it's by Brooks, who make my running shoes, and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> I love that it is white and mesh so it should be great for sunny, hot runs. </span> That's Sam, my parents' cat in the background - what a ham!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSEZk7HcI/AAAAAAAAA-E/IY8kECuD2rI/s1600-h/Picture+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSEZk7HcI/AAAAAAAAA-E/IY8kECuD2rI/s320/Picture+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214397876346306" border="0" /></a>I also made a stop at the local health food store, <span style="font-style: italic;">in search of chia seeds. </span> Naturally, I came out with a bit more ;) I am not out of agave or coconut oil yet but I'm getting low, and they had these items in bulk - <span style="font-weight: bold;">heck yeah! </span> I also got my first contained of carob powder which I'm excited to try, the chia seeds I had wanted, a package of gluten-free pizza crust, and a couple vegan cookies to try for dessert.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSD4BZ0iI/AAAAAAAAA98/aosmHfQkjzQ/s1600-h/Picture+011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSD4BZ0iI/AAAAAAAAA98/aosmHfQkjzQ/s320/Picture+011.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214388868993570" border="0" /></a>I split these <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alternative Baking Company cookies </span>with Mike and my mom. We all loved the coconut macaroon flavor the best, but the chocolate chip cookie one was good too. It's truly astonishing to me how great vegan food tastes if done right, and I can't believe that I never knew it could be so delicious to eat vegan. I had always considered <span style="font-style: italic;">going vegan for health, animal right and environmental reasons,</span> but I think part of the reason I was held back was a fear that the food wouldn't wow me.... I have definitely been proven wrong in that department!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSDn1U4YI/AAAAAAAAA90/dnixj5FLICI/s1600-h/Picture+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSDn1U4YI/AAAAAAAAA90/dnixj5FLICI/s320/Picture+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214384523370882" border="0" /></a>Mike and I went over to see my sister's first place that she just recently moved into - what a cute apartment! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Don't you love those adorable Ikea placemats?!?! </span> She shared a bottle of red with us.....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSDJoKIcI/AAAAAAAAA9s/q6dPHNWJmlo/s1600-h/Picture+013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PhBVNvkZ5P0/SnUSDJoKIcI/AAAAAAAAA9s/q6dPHNWJmlo/s320/Picture+013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365214376415076802" border="0" /></a>And now I'm off to bed since we are getting up early tomorrow to visit my grandparents, which is a bit far away.<br />***********<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A big congrats to my cousin Colleen on her recent engagement!!! So excited and happy for you, Colleen and Kyle! :)</span>Valhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10683458085072146620noreply@blogger.com6